A birthday party on San Jose’s Streets

Another Fourth of July came and went. This time we put the (US) national holiday to good use by attending a traditional Fourth of July Parade. We looked up the events happening in the South Bay (area) and narrowed it down to the one in San Jose (CA) conducted by the Alameda Business Association. This one, called the Rose, White and Blue Parade started near San Jose’s Municipal Rose Garden and passed through Dana Street, University Avenue and Morse Street before it culminated on The Alameda.

This July 4th parade was to start and 10 am so we tried to shake the holiday laziness away and rush to the Parade route before  it began, lest we get lost in the sidewalk crowds like it happened at the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco earlier this year. We got there around 9:30, just as the first few spectators were settling down. We found ourselves a nice place below a cherry tree on Dana Street near the Rose Garden and before we knew it, the roadsides were flooded with people in red, white and blue outfits, American flags, and caps and scarves with the American flag designs on them. It seemed like the whole of San Jose was out there calling out to each other, shaking hands and wishing “Happy Fourth of July.” With all the meeting and greeting and excited voices of little children, I thought the festivity was as its height and I was wrong.

The Rose, White and Blue Parade came along and the sounds of the celebration went further up with music, clapping and cheering. It really was USA’s ‘Happy’ Birthday. There was marching and dancing and singing. There were musical instruments, floats and vintage cars. There were fire engines, military vehicles and electric cars. There were girls doing stunts on Roller skates, Karate Kids and Hula Dancers. There was an Elvis in Patriotic colours, characters from Little Mermaid, Sharkie,* Danny the Dragon from Happy Hollow, Abe Lincoln(s) and even a person dressed as a Peet’s Coffee cup.  There were dogs and horses and guinea pigs too as part of the parade.

So what if the Capital of Silicon Valley does not have an official city-sponsored Rose, July 4th parade? This one was almost one. Mayor Chuck Reed and his wife were there, the Police Chief was there and so was Dan Ashley of ABC7 News. It was nice to see him off my television screen and on the streets of San Jose, for a change.

That apart, there were San Jose Fire Trucks, a vehicle from the San Jose Fire Museum, a whole lot of electric cars (it seemed like absolute quiet when these came along after the noisy honking of the vintage cars). An hour and a half later, the last of Rose, White and Blue Parade passed by where we sat, with a display of Military Vehicles.

That was a Fourth of July, well spent.

A representation of the communities of the far east.

Vintage Cars

*Sharkie, the official mascot of  the San Jose Sharks

Little Shasta Ladies’ Literary Society, celebrating American Literature.

More antique vehicles.

Ursula and Ariel from Little Mermaid

Hula Dancers

Top: Mayor of San Jose, Chuck Reed. Below: Dan Ashley of ABC7 News

FYI: