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Winnetka July Fourth Parade sees 49 organizations participate

U.S. Navy veteran and Winnetka resident Bill Johns says he attends the Fourth of July Parade in Winnetka every year.

“There’s just no place I’d rather be,” Johns said. “The legacy of this old-fashioned celebration honors our past present and our future and will outlive all of us.”

Recreation Manager at the Winnetka Park District Toby Ross said this year’s parade had 49 entries with a variety of local organizations and neighbors marching alongside orchestras, pipe bands, jugglers and even Uncle Sam on stilts.

“Our parade and Fourthfest was an excellent example of ‘good ole fashioned Americana’,” Ross said.

Winnetka’s Fourth of July schedule of began at 7:30 a.m. with the Firecracker 5K Run along the Green Bay Trail, followed by a 10 a.m. parade down Elm Street. After the parade, events on the Green included a flag raising led by Color Guards and Winnetka Scout Troops 18 and 20, a greeting by Village President Chris Rintz and Winnetka Park District President Christina Codo, the Children’s Flag Parade and Races on the Green with free children’s activities including inflatables, balloon artist, tattoos and face painter.

Codo greeted the crowd, referencing the long-standing community tradition in Winnetka of gathering on the Village Green to celebrate Independence Day.

“This is a day to celebrate our nation’s birthday – an annual tradition of celebrating on the Village Green since 1887,” Codo said. “Let this also be a day that we celebrate the peace and prosperity of the town in which we live.”

The celebration continued with a 7 p.m. concert and performance by the Jesse White Tumblers at Duke Child’s Field, followed by an evening fireworks show.

Ross says a big change this year was a return back to Duke Child’s Field after not holding the event there since 2019.

“(It’s) wonderful to see so many familiar and new faces lining the streets, running the races, and enjoying the evening concert and fireworks,” Ross said. “Our overall turnout for every facet of the day was exceptional with much larger crowds in 2024 compared to 2023.”

“We just love the parade and all the day’s activities for our kids,” Casey Grimes of Winnetka said.

Hayden Kennedy of Winnetka attended the parade with family, saying she is glad to feel safe at community events despite events like the Highland Park July 4 shooting that have attempted to make people feel afraid.

“It’s an important lesson that no one can be allowed to control our lives, and today we celebrate that freedom,” she said.

Gina Grillo is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.