Fourth of July festivities draw thousands to Faith for parade, fireworks and fun

Sunday, July 05, 2009 1:05 AM  |  Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend |

By Hugh Fisherhfisher@salisburypost.com

FAITH — For a few hours on the Fourth of July, all roads lead to Faith Road, and everyone who watches the parade gets to be a kid again.

Everyone has a different "favorite part" of the parade. For some, it's the phalanx of fire engines from throughout the county, with firefighters and families waving.

Others say it's the groups of eager kids lined up with their bags in hand to catch handfuls of candy.

Maybe it's the festive floats, the marching bands or the chance to sit in the front yard (as many Faith residents do) and use the parade to kick off a cookout.

But freedom is the theme above all others.

This year's 69th annual Faith Fourth of July featured what planning committee co-chair Pam Alexander believes to be the largest audience ever for the parade.

"I feel it was a success," said Alexander, whose parents, Sylvia and James Alexander, are also co-chairs.

"We had a beautiful day," she said.

Faith Baptist Church's float won the prize for most unique entry. The North Carolina Submarine Veterans won the prize for best amateur entry for their float featuring a torpedo sub with a group of veterans riding aboard.

This year's parade had a strong military resonance, starting with the Army JROTC color guard from East Rowan High School, which opened the parade.

A UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from C Company, 1/131 Aviation, Salisbury's Army National Guard unit flew over, followed by a C-130 Hercules transport plane from Charlotte's Air National Guard.

Restored military vehicles were entered by the Old Hickory Association, a group honoring World War II veterans. They featured an Army ambulance, transport vehicles and a jeep armed with a machine gun.

"Rat Patrol" was painted across the front of that jeep, recalling the 1960s TV show.

But the crowd turned serious, and many stood to applaud, as disabled veterans in electric wheelchairs from the North Carolina State Veterans Home passed, followed by others on a float.

Many of the parade's 145 entries brought freebies for the folks gathered alongside Faith Road — frozen pops, bottled water, Apple Ugly pastries, baseball caps and candy ... lots of candy.

"We can't do that anymore," said Michelle Newton to her friend; to her right a knot of nine kids waited, paper and plastic bags in hand, before the first float had even come into sight.

Newton said her favorite parts of the parade, other than seeing the kids have fun, were the familiar floats, like the jalopy clown car that looks as if it's driving itself.

"He's been doing this for years," Newton said. "He was here when I marched in high school." She was formerly in the East Rowan High School marching band.

A rising East Rowan senior, Jordan Warren, said marching in the parade made her think about her upcoming final year. "I love how the crowd cheers for us," she said.

"It feels good that they invited us to be here," said her bandmate Shalyn Miller, also a rising senior.

Connie Shipwash watched the parade with her husband, Thomas, and son, Christopher.

The Shipwashes are residents of Salisbury; this was their first Faith Fourth.

"You couldn't do this in Salisbury," she said. "You wouldn't see people waving to their friends like you do here."

Friends and families gathered as they always do on porches and in lawn chairs, many with food and drinks arrayed around them.

For those who didn't bring their own, Faith Soda Shop kept a constant hum of business. Yosties, across the road, sold bottled water and slices of North Carolina watermelon, among other treats.

"We've probably sold four or five melons today," Alesha Munday said.

Stacy Herring of Rockwell held her son, Ian, age 2. "I've been coming out here since I was younger, but this is the first time coming out with my kids," Herring said.

Her older son Avery, 5, was scouting for candy at the curb.

"I guess that's the funnest part of the parade," Henry Putnam of Mooresville said as his family watched the parade nearby. "Everybody gets to be a kid again."