Historic Ingleside to host annual Fourth of July parade in Macon Saturday
Neighborhood tradition returns with community celebration, parade and activities
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Historic Ingleside is preparing for its annual Fourth of July parade Saturday at 10 a.m.
The tradition was restarted about five years ago by neighbors who wanted to bring back a decades old celebration that once brought the community together.
“The neighbors used to talk about having a Fourth of July parade back in the 70s,” organizer Edward Clark said. “And they were talking about how great it was, how it was great for the neighborhood, and all the fun that the kids had. We needed a reason to get these tractors started up, and we said well let’s restart the neighborhood Fourth of July parade.”
Since being brought back, the parade has grown into a neighborhood wide event filled with festive spirit.
“It’s a lot of fun for everybody,” organizer Thomas Ireson said. “It’s just kind of cool to get your community out here. All the neighborhood shows up, we’re all out here caravaning around the neighborhood, and we’ve got people making boiled peanuts and cutting up watermelon for everybody to eat. It’s just a real big fun event.”
From decorated tractors and golf carts to families walking and riding along, the parade brings neighbors together in celebration.
“This is one of the first events that we went to when we moved to this neighborhood and it was great to meet new faces, make some connections throughout the neighborhood that we see year after year at the parade, so it’s been great for us, great for our family,” Kaylee Osnowitz said.
As the neighborhood prepares to celebrate America’s 250th Fourth of July, residents say it’s the sense of connection that keeps them coming back.
“We have a lot of families with young children and then you have people who lived there their whole lives,” said Molly Eady, neighbor. “So, just bridging that generational gap, getting everybody out here together, it really builds that sense of community.”
