Veteran Parade Goers Claim Best Views

Sunlight was just trickling through the trees when the early birds staked their claim to prime viewing spots along Parson’s Avenue for the start of Brandon’s 2011 Fourth of July Parade.

Bob Horton came prepared.

The Brandon resident had his grill, coolers, table and tent set up by 7 a.m. on Parsons just south of the Clayton Lake view of the Brandon Regional Library and Center Place.

And he wasn’t even the first one there.

“By 7 a.m. there were already others camped out along the side of the road,” Horton said.

His sixth parade barbecue, Horton said the event has become a family tradition because of everything the parade represents.

“It’s a celebration of our county and we have got to remember all the sacrifices made to give us our freedoms from our creator.”

Freddue Cyman, 43, a Brandon native, was also camped along Parsons early. He can’t remember how many parades he has seem over the years.

“I remember walking the parade when I was 13,” he said. "At that time we just walked down Robertson Road. Brandon was a very small town in those days.”  

Unlike larger parades, Brandon’s still has that small-town feel that makes it special, Cyman said.

“The Gasparilla parade, even the one for the kids, has a totally different feel. This parade is just a lot more hometown and friendly.”

Brian Wilcox’s family has been turning out early for the parade “for as long as I can remember. We learned our lesson in the past, that it’s best to get your spot early and plan to be in the shade by the time the parade starts.”

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Editor’s Note: More parade coverage to come. Please check back again.

RELATED COVERAGE:

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• Float Focus: Hillsborough Baptist School
• Float Focus: Disabled American Veterans Chapter No. 83