Putting a parade of more than 150 entrants together requires the patience, passion and expertise of several local volunteers. 

Each year, the Mayor’s Fourth of July extravaganza attracts some 20,000 spectators, or roughly one-third of the city’s population.

 The parade route is longer than three miles, allowing the city to claim it as the longest parade procession ever, which no one bothers to challenge. 

Families and friends lucky enough to live on the parade route host barbecues as the spectacle winds past, while others from Alameda and throughout the Bay Area nab spots along coveted stretches of Park Street, Grand Street, Central Avenue and Otis Drive for optimal viewing. 

“This event epitomizes Americana at its finest and is the best hometown parade going in the East Bay, no question,” said parade committee chair Barbara Price. “Makes you proud to be an American.”
This year’s parade committee, led by Price, includes: Dominic McKenna, Cheryl Mannix-Smith, Dan Mark, Nicole Santilena, Betty Dittmer, Sherilyn Escoto, Mark Sorensen, Jeff Cambra, Sam Sause, Jim Franz, Jerad Kissack, Barbara Price, Michael Delucchi and Wendall Stewart.

This all-volunteer committee has spent many hours preparing for the parade, organizing entries, arranging street closures, cleaning up afterwards and many other responsibilities. 

To find out more about the parade and how to get involved next year, visit http://myalamedaparade.com.