Independence Day Parade in Carpentersville salutes the good old red, white and blue

Chicago Tribune

21 hours ago

Amadeus Franco's favorite parts of Saturday's Independence Day parade in downtown Carpentersville? Collecting candy from the parade participants throwing pieces into the crowd and getting a chance to see the 'little cars.'
Those cars were the miniature '57 Chevys, about an eighth of the size of the actual thing, being driven by the West Suburban Shrine Club as part of village event, which was held for a third year on the Saturday before the Fourth of July holiday.
Shriner Seth Markham, behind the wheel of the blue Chevy, said they get a kick out of the audience cheering their appearance.
'It's awesome. It makes it all worth it,' Markham said just before the parade stepped off at Lincoln Avenue and Main Street. 'It makes your day, for sure.'
It was the first of two parades the club was going to attend with the cars Saturday. On Thursday, July 4, they'll be participating in four, he said.
Their appearance is part of Carpentersville's effort to 'have something for everyone,' said Greta Salamando, the village's business and community engagement coordinator. 'We want to be inclusive and bring some fun, excitement and music (to the event).'
They also wanted a hometown feel so many of the marchers represented different aspects of the village, Salamando said.
This year, more than 50 units made up the procession, 10 more than last year, she said.
In addition to the Shriners' Roaring '57 Chevys, new to the lineup were the Brass Works, a brass band that played Mardi Gras and patriotic music, and a bubble performer from Glenn David Productions, Salamando said.
The grand marshal was Specialist 5 Bill McConney, a Carpentersville resident and Vietnam veteran.
Plenty of red, white, and blue befitting the holiday could be seen everywhere along the parade route, including the outfit being worn by Rachel Duck, a member of The Bridge Church, which is based in Barrington and wants to build a new church on land purchased in Carpentersville, she said.
Church members decorated a truck with animals and florals, emphasizing the idea that we should 'see God in the small things,' Duck said.
Fellow member Kelly Yarrington said, 'Our hearts are for the community.'
The parade route took participants over the Fox River bridge, where a reviewing stand DJ announced each group, float or decorated vehicle as it passed by en route to Carpenter Park, where the annual Duke's Blues Festival started at noon.
The two-day event, held as a fundraiser for nonprofit Taste the Love, featured blues musicians and finger-licking barbeque.
Duke's Blues Festival, presented by the nonprofit Taste the Love, coincided with the Independence Day Parade and Dundee Township Park District's annual fireworks display on Saturday night.
Terrance 'Duke' Seward, owner of Duke's Blues-N-BBQ and founder of the blues festival, approached the village about sharing the date this year so the two events could be linked.
'This year, we have Duke's Blues Fest so people can go to the parade and stay and hang out at the blues fest and then end their evening with fireworks,' Salamando said.
As for Amadeus, the thing he's really looking forward to is that fireworks display. It's the only thing he could talk about for the last week, his mother, Rosa Onofre, said.
Her love the holiday, she said, is a little more big picture — it's about 'being an American and the freedom.'