The chairs, blankets, tarps, ropes, and other assorted items that had lined most of Dole Avenue for two and a half days of claiming “dibs” for parade viewing have returned from where they came. Aside from memories and photos…and we have over 100 of the latter…another 4th of July and Independence Day Parade is already fading into the distance. In fact, what remains is mostly leaves and branches from the storm that ripped through Crystal Lake since then.
Sadly, the memories of the parade and this 4th that will live on, have little to do with the Crystal Lake 4th of July parade. Instead, it will be overshadowed and tainted with the senseless violence that happened to our neighbors a mere 30 or so miles away in Highland Park less than 24 hours later. A horrendous act of evil, that if we are truly honest with ourselves, could just as easily have happened here.
For now, we can mourn for our neighbors, appreciate our first responders who kept us safe at our parade and assisted our neighbors following theirs, and be grateful that our parade came off as it should. And with that, we dedicate this article and these photos to our friends, family, and neighbors of Highland Park, sharing our parade, the way a parade is supposed to be.
Traditional annual parade “dibs.”First Church serving up lunch to parade goers.Yesterday’s News serving up the pre-parade tunes in the First Church parking lot.Foresee a business future for this young lady entreprenuer.Chairs and pop-up canopies fill the parade route.Crystal Lake bike cop always has time to stop for young citizens.Reserved seating.Bringing out the Farmall…now that’s some serious Americana 4th of July decorating!Crystal Lake Police leading the parade.Marine Corps League #1009 Color Guard.Marine Corps.Marine Corps truck.US Army band.US Army band.Three Oaks Recreation Area pontoon float pulled by Crystal Lake public works truck.Crystal Lake Fire & Rescue.Dundee Scottish Bagpipes & Chicago Highlanders Pipes and Drums.A-Tec Ambulance…old and new.Walter Alarm Services firetruck.Northern Illinois Fire Museum fire truck.Northern Illinois Fire Museum fire truck.Police motorcycle, with Jim Athans dropping off Grand Marshall Kathryn Martens in the background.Police ATV and motorcycle.Jim Athans.Crystal Lake Lions Club carrying the U.S. flag.Crystal Lake Lions Club.Marie Adkins singing the National Anthem.The Blue Star Banner Program.VFW Post 12014, Crystal Lake.Home State Bank.Mercyhealth.
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Buss Ford parade trucks.About Faces juggler and stilts walker.Making friends in high places.First Institute, Inc.First Institute tossing out mini-footballs.MidWest Renegades Equestrian Drill Team.Talk about riding high in the saddle.Village of Lakewood.State Representative Suzanne Ness.McHenry County Democratic Party, Bill Foster.Amin Karim for County Treasurer and Mary Mahady for County Clerk, and Gloria Van Hof for county board.Donna Kurtz for McHenry County Treasurer.Aarmns Pest Control.Expert Roofing.Thayer Lynn Carpentry, and a huge thank you for the water!Snap-On Tools float.Crystal Lake Striker Drum Line.Lee’s Martial Arts.Master Lee.McHenry County Libertarians.Jim M’Lady Nissan trucks.Crystal Lake Public Library read s’more books float!Think Ink.McHenry County Republican Party float.Joe Tirio for County Clerk.Judge Susan Clancy Boles.Dan Brady for Secretary of State and De Witte, Illinois Senate.Kingpins Drumline.
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Funny Little People.Crystal Lake Park District summer campers.The Crystal Lake Parks Initiative Foundation Cardboard Regatta.Do cardboard boat floats float?Arrrrgh matey.Die Musikmeisters Band-Mike Knauf Music.Immanuel Lutheran Church & School.Hands up for the Sunburst Corvette Club Corvettes.Living Waters Lutheran Church float.Jesse White Tumblers.Martin Chevrolet.Star 105.5 Rolling Radio with DJ Clinto spinning the tunes.Star 105.5 with Joe and Tina.Jimmy Johns…thanks for the chips, my son thought they were great!Herrick Auto Body with vintage Ford tractor.Illinois Railway Museum.Schafer Brothers Remodeling, Inc. tossing beach balls.Engage Dance Academy dancers.Tebala Shriners Air Squadron pilots.We salute you.Mariachi Sol de Oro.Monarch Home Real Estate.Volo Auto Museum train.From childhood reruns and car shows…oh to drive the Batmobile!Volo Auto Museum Jurassic Gardens truck.Glacier Ridge Polar Bears.Hussman Elementary.Hussman Elementary.Hussman Elementary.The Salvation Army.J A Frate Fallen Heroes Truck.
Crystal Lake Community Band.Cub Scouts of America Pack 156.Mathnasium.Thunderbird Preschool.2 thumbs up for Sunset Logistics.Nu Gen Cleaning trucks.Cerebrum Neurotherapy.Crystal Lake South Dance Team.Country Financial.Thinnis Transport.Shepherd Premier Senior Living.Crystal Lake Central High School Dance Team.McHenry County Pride.First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake.PFLAG.Association for Individual Development.Powerforce Athletics.Rise Up Foundation.Sparklers Twirl Team.Crystal Lake Raiders Football and Cheer.Sage YMCA of Chicago Metropolitan Chicago.Avanti Salon & Spa.4th Rex.Act for Wellness.Great Lakes Credit Union.Academia de Danza Aztlan.Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty.District 47 & 155 Transportation School Bus.Woodstock Culture, Arts & Music jammin float! Potts & Pans Community SteelbandCrystal Lake Police.And then it was over.Remains of the annual, epic, cross-street water balloon fight.Rate this article?
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President and Founder of Identity Developments, LLC, the parent company of the McHenry Life website. My hope for McHenry Life is to create a resource and destination for the residents and businesses of McHenry County alike. A place where residents can discover new places to explore, fun events and ways to spend time, and then share those experiences with others. A place where businesses can connect with existing and potential customers, and not simply market their businesses, but share their own unique stories.
