LINTON, Ind. (WAWV/WTWO) – Indiana’s largest Independence Day parade prepares for yet another year of annual traditions.
The Linton Freedom Festival Parade is one of the town’s continued Independence Day celebrations along with a carnival, live bands, contests, and fireworks.
As Linton is only a few days out from one of the communities biggest traditions, town officials and local businesses have already started to decorate and prepare for crowds.
Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce Cheryl Hamilton said the festival committee is currently in the works to stage floats as well as mark parade barricades.
“Friday will be a big work day as they all plan to take the day off and do little things, like placing barricades or moving floats in place,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton said the committee estimates 130 to 150 parade entrees for this years parade.
“We really have a lot of floats in our parade and a lot of them are hand made floats,” Hamilton said. “It’s being done locally so it’s not that they’ve rented a float.”
Owner of A Place Called Home Floral and Gift Terry Davis said the shop has prepared arrangement for parade floats for the past 30 years. She said the shop can typically see an increase in sales a couple weeks before the festivities.
“We do some of the flowers and sashes for the parade,” Davis said. “We typically do center pieces for some of the get-togethers and class reunions around the time of the festival.”
Both Hamilton and Davis anticipate big crowds for this years parade.
“It’s amazing how many people are on the street watch this event every year,” Hamilton said. “I mean if it’s a beautiful day we’ll be six deep. The committee looks to be somewhere between 40,000 thousand people in town that day.”
“You know you have a lot of people that just meet up and see people they haven’t seen the rest of the year,” Davis said.
The parade starts at 10 am on July 4.
Click here for a schedule for all events.
