File Photo: Canyon Theatre Guild entry | By Sunny Wise

It’s that time again – time to gather the red, white and blue bunting, polish the car, build the floats, practice the music and the princess wave. The all-volunteer organizing team for the annual Santa Clarita Fourth of July parade is inviting everyone to participate in this year’s salute to America.

Every Fourth of July since 1932, downtown Newhall has hosted a procession of floats, musicians, neighborhood marchers, equestrians, beauty queens and politicians, all decked out in their patriotic best, celebrating our nation’s independence. The spirit of the 2015 parade is the same, with an additional theme of “Santa Clarita: Living the American Dream.” This year’s parade also salutes long-time parade organizer and 2015 Man of the Year Leon Worden and honors the memory of his mother, Connie Worden-Roberts, who helped with city formation and worked tirelessly to improve transportation in the valley before her passing in 2014.

That first parade featured an old-time prospector and his family, a mule team freight line, cowboys, ranchers, a model of the San Fernando Mission, a brand-new 1932 school bus and Newhall Ice’s entry of ice blocks with flowers and fruit frozen inside. We’ve come a long way from the mule team; this year’s parade will be led by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Mounted Color Guard, followed by entries from schools, businesses, nonprofit and special interest groups who take to the streets on foot, aboard flatbed trucks, pedaling bicycles, or riding in classic and specialized vehicles. Thousands of people are expected to line the parade route, which starts at Hart Park, goes down Main Street, turns left on Lyons Avenue and right on Orchard Village Road, ending at 16th Street. This year’s parade also promises some special surprises for all the viewers.

Entry forms are available online at SCVParade.com. The website also includes a long list of frequently asked questions, parade history, several galleries of past parade pictures, and information about the annual celebration. Registration fees are $40 for noncommercial entries (individuals, nonprofit, 501c3 organizations), $40 for candidates running for political office (officeholders not currently running for reelection may participate for no charge); $175 for commercial entries, including businesses, dance team companies and scholarship pageants. Deadline for entries is 5 p.m. Friday, June 19 and completed forms must be received by the parade officials (not just postmarked) to qualify for the early entry fee. Late entries, which must be received (not postmarked) by 5 p.m. June 26, will be charged a higher fee; late noncommercial and candidate entries are $60; late commercial entries are $225. No entries will be accepted after 5 pm June 26, period.

Applications should be mailed to Santa Clarita Fourth of July Parade, P.O. Box 802993, Santa Clarita, CA 91380-2993 and must be received by the deadline. The only drop off location for parade entries is the SCVTV Studio, 22505 14th Street, Unit E in Newhall.

Sponsors of the parade include SCVTV, the City of Santa Clarita, the County of Los Angeles, HomeSmart NCG, Saugus Café, American Medical Response, The Signal, KHTS, American Legion Post 507 Riders, AV Party Rentals and AV Equipment Rentals. For information not on the www.scvparade.com website, call Lillian Shaw at (661) 803-7845.