People pack Provo parade to celebrate America's 250th birthday

PROVO — Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Provo on Saturday morning for one of the largest Fourth of July parades in the western United States.

For many, this year's 250th anniversary of America's founding gave the event special meaning.

Saturday's parade, put on by America's Freedom Festival at Provo, featured nearly 100 floats and exhibits, a longer-than-usual parade route, and a military and civilian flyover.

Alan Abildskov, the festival's social media and public relations chair, told KSL this was "probably the biggest" parade ever held in Provo to celebrate the Fourth of July. He said while annual attendance usually hovers around 300,000, he estimates this year's parade likely attracted even bigger crowds.

"Quite a lot of people this year," Abildskov said. "It's exciting."

'Excitement and patriotism'

Many people make Provo's parade a yearly Independence Day tradition, while others attended it for the first time.

"The Provo community is just so patriotic, and there's not a lot of them in the United States anymore," said Dave Free, who attended the parade. "It doesn't matter who you are, what religion you are. In Provo, they all come together to support America and celebrate America."

Denes Balogh-Bartos and his girlfriend, Dora Fabian, attended the parade while visiting the U.S. from Hungary.

"This is our first Fourth of July parade," Balogh-Bartos said. "I can feel the passion of the people here."

"There aren't really any parades like this in Hungary," added Fabian, "and it's so interesting to see it here."

The grand parade is sponsored each year by America's Freedom Festival at Provo, which is one of the biggest patriotic celebrations in the country.

"It really just gets people's energy and excitement and patriotism," Abildskov said. "It's a lot of fun."

He said festival organizers started preparing early for this year's big 250th celebration.

"A lot of stuff that was going on, a lot of (planning), a lot of efforts, and finally it all came together today, and it was great," Abildskov said. "Great parade."

Reflecting on America

As people watched the parade, some reflected on the milestone of 2 1/2 centuries since America was founded.

"How lucky we are, I think, to live here and be Americans," said Greg Jenson of Murray.

"We've come really far in ways, and in other ways we're not doing so great," added Lanae Valentine. "It would be nice if we would be more united because we're a great country."

Richard Crookston, who is from Provo, said there are "amazing things" in America, even as the country deals with "some struggles."

"But we're glad that we're here," he said. "We're so grateful that we can be a part of the United States."

"It's amazing," said Keith Barton, who lives in Provo and served in the Army. "Two hundred and fifty years of freedom – it's just amazing. And it keeps going."

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