Red, white and blue on display at Sound View Independence Day parade
Old Lyme — A stream of floats, bicyclists and marchers in red, white and blue paraded through the streets of Sound View on Saturday morning to celebrate the Fourth of July.
Children twirled pinwheels and American flags, pedaled on bicycles adorned with streamers and stars, or maneuvered through the streets on scooters.
Residents marched alongside them in patriotic attire, and spectators lined Hartford Avenue during the 22nd annual Sound View Independence Day parade.
The event is held each year by the Sound View Beach Association Inc.
The parade traveled down Hartford Avenue to the flagpole near the beach, where paradegoers stopped as the Silver Cornet Band played the Star Spangled Banner.
The parade's route included Portland and Swan avenues, before the march returned to Hartford Avenue, where about a dozen prizes were awarded for floats and costumes and children took rides on the carousel at Sound View.
The American Legion Post 41 and VFW Post 1467 marched and carried the posts' flags in the parade. Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal, the Old Lyme Fire Department, the Old Lyme Volunteer Ambulance Association and the Old Lyme Police also participated.
Residents rode in floats made from decorated golf carts and wagons.
Annika Ryer, 14, of Old Lyme, who attends school in Egypt, participated in the parade along with her brother, Stefan, 10, who was dressed as Uncle Sam on a balloon flight.
Annika wore a costume of a swimmer that included an inner tube with streamers — and stilts that made her stand at more than 7 feet tall. Annika received a prize for funniest costume, and Stefan won for most patriotic costume.
"I like the whole community," said Annika, who has participated in the parade for the past several years. "It's really nice that everybody comes out to watch. It's fun to see your family and friends."
The Sound View Beach Association had lined Hartford Avenue with flags and handed out balloons and flags to participants on Saturday.
Dennis Melluzzo, the association's president, said the parade began with a wagon, a boom box and a small group of people, and grew from there. The parade is nonpolitical and an opportunity for children to have fun, he said.
"This is hometown USA," he said.
Frank and Catherine Teti of New Britian came early Saturday morning to see the parade, at the recommendation of their son, Frank Teti Jr., a member of the SVBA. The couple held flags and watched the parade from seats on Hartford Avenue.
"It was very nice," said Catherine Teti. "It's all beautiful."
David Marseli of Old Lyme walked in Saturday's parade with Jasmine, his 6-year-old rescue greyhound, who sported stars-and-stripes bows around her collar for the occasion.
He said he had gone to the Shoreline Community Center in Sound View on Saturday morning for Original Beach Donuts, when he heard about the Independence Day parade and decided to participate.
"The community here is wonderful," he said. "Old Lyme is a nice, tight-knit community."
k.drelich@theday.com
Twitter: @KimberlyDrelich
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