WAKEFIELD — The town celebrated the nation’s 249th birthday in grand style Friday, with the West Side Social Club’s 4th of July Committee putting on morning and evening events and the Wakefield Independence Day Committee coordinating a two-hour parade in the late afternoon.
The weather was spectacular and so were the fireworks over Lake Quannapowitt that put a great final touch on a long, fun day of activities.
Things began bright and early with the 7:30 a.m. Fishing Derby open to all 2 to 14 year olds, put on by the West Side’s 4th of July Committee at the lake’s shore.
This was followed by the Pet Parade at 8:30 a.m., the 9 a.m. Cart, Tricycle, and Scooter Parade on the Upper Common, the Doll Carriage Parade at 10 a.m. and the Bicycle Parade at 11 a.m.
At noon, the WSSC 4th of July Committee held the Diaper Derby and various age-appropriate running races.
At 1 p.m. the lake canoe, kayak and paddle board races began, moving from the head of Lake Quannapowitt to the Lower Common.
After a little lull in the action to let people catch their breath, the Independence Day Committee’s Fourth of July Parade — a Wakefield tradition since 1922 — stepped off from Quannapowitt Parkway and the Lakeside Office Park at 5 p.m.
This year, the parade honored Grand Marshall Pasquale (Patsy) Zagaria. It traveled down North Avenue, turned left to Church Street, right onto Common Street, and straight through to Main Street. The parade concluded at the Galvin Middle School about two hours after it began.
There were many parade participants, including the Clydesdales from Hobby Knoll Stables in Duxbury, the Lakeside Lutheran High School Warrior Band, the National Lancers of Framingham, the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile and the 215th Army Band.
Among the parade floats was one celebrating the 100th anniversary of St. Joseph School.
At about 7 p.m. the Buckley Brothers Band played a great show, followed by the singing Trooper Dan Clark and an appreciation of Steve Maio, the retired Town Administrator who was named events’ honoree by the WSSC 4th of July Committee.
The awesome fireworks soon followed, put on by North Reading’s American Thunder.
By about 10 p.m., the day-long public celebration was over.
