Flags Of Freedom Parade
Click HERE to view lots of pictures of the Flags of Freedom Parade.
The 35th annual "Flags of Freedom Parade" which was hosted, today, June 30th, 2007, by the "Sound of Sun Prairie," began at 2 p.m.and ran from the corner of Ruby Lane and Main Street to Market Street. It was a beautiful day for a parade. Sunny, with temperature of about 76 degrees.
The Flags of Freedom Parade was led off with the VFW as the color guard.
Since this was our first Flags of Freedom Parade, it seems as though we staked out the wrong place to watch the parade because we were almost directly across from the Sentry store and the bands hardly ever seemed to be playing anything as they passed us. About 200 yards further down Main Street, right around Bird Street, most of the bands seemed to go into their routines. Lesson learned. Next year we move to a different spot. I think that there is probably a benefit to getting a place closer to the end of the parade rather than near its start because, by then, maybe they will have their spacing worked out so that there would not be 200 yards or more between units in some places.
Despite the fact that we didn't get a lot of band music, we did have a good time watching the young people march in their colorful uniforms and there were lots of floats and things going on. I'm sure the little kid spectators appreciated all the candy that was thrown to them from the floats, cars, horses and passed out by people walking the route. Even from our less than ideal location the whole street was lined on both sides with people enjoying the parade. Most people brought lawn chairs or blankets to sit on.
There was a pack of restored Model T cars in the parade. It is amazing to see how much time and trouble these people have gone to to restore these antique cars.
One irritating thing for photographers like myself was the fact that, although the bands, for the most part, had some very nice uniforms, many of their support staff dressed very casually and blocked a lot of good potential camera shots of the bands. Sheeshh... I know they have to have the support staff but couldn't they walk BEHIND the bands and not distract from them and stand in the way of the crowd? Or, walk closer to the curb so that the spectator's views are not blocked. It was almost as though they completely forgot that the crowd lining the street was there to watch the bands. Believe me, we went to see the bands marching and not to see these people. There was one band that took this into consideration. It was the Calgary Stampede Show Band, from Canada. They saw that people were sitting on the grass that is between the sidewalk and the street, so they just walked on the sidewalks which were open. It would be nice if all the band support people would take this attitude.
Click HERE to view lots of pictures of the Flags of Freedom Parade.
Dates To Fly The Flag of the United States of America
January 1st - New Year's Day
January 20th - Inauguration Day
January - Lincoln's Birthday
January - Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday
February 12th - President's Day
February 22nd - Washington's Birthday
Easter Sunday
April 19th - Patriots Day (Battle of Lexington)
May (1st Thursday) - National Day of Prayer
May (2nd Sunday) - Mother's Day
May - Armed Forces Day
May - Memorial Day (half-staff until noon)
June 14th - Flag Day
June (3rd Sunday) - Father's Day
July 4th - Independence Day
September (1st Monday) - Labor Day
September 17th through 23rd - Constitution Week
October 11th - NSDAR Day of Prayer
October 12th - Columbus Day
October 27th - Navy Day
November 11th - Veterans Day
November (4th Thursday) - Thanksgiving
December 7th - Pearl Harbor Day
December 25th - Christmas