West Hartford Neighborhood Hosts 39th Annual Fourth of July Bike Parade

To commemorate the fourth of July, a West Hartford neighborhood in the Bugbee Elementary School district celebrated with its 39^th annual bike parade.

By Gillian Hixson

At the corner of Linbrook Road and Montclair Drive, kids on decorated bikes and scooters lined up, waiting for the sirens of the fire truck to blare and the beat of the drum to sound. Some kids wore festive costumes; some adorned their bikes, scooters, or strollers with balloons and streamers; all had huge smiles on their faces.

Each year, the “horseshoe neighborhood” between Trout Brook Drive and North Main Street, encompassing streets like Linbrook Road, Linnard Road, and Linwold Drive, gathers to celebrate the fourth of July by riding bikes around the neighborhood streets.

This is the 39^th annual neighborhood bike parade, this year’s organizer, Karen Shannon, explained.

At this year’s bike parade a West Hartford Fire Department truck led the bike riders, followed by a local drummer known as “Rob the Drummer” by the neighborhood residents. At the end of the parade, awards were given out for the best costume, best decorations, and best pet. The winners for each category are listed below.

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Best Bike (seven years old and under)

1^st Place: Ben R.

2^nd Place: Marin S.

3^rd Place: Sam S.

 

Best Tricycle/Training Wheels

1^st Place: Elaina as Tinkerbell

2^nd Place: Ava as Elsa

3^rd Place: Adira as Rapunzel

 

Best Float

1^st Place: the Saunders Family

 

Best Bike (eight years old and up)

1^st Place: Alice K.

2^nd Place: Abby M.

3^rd Place: Samara P.

 

Best Adult Costume

1^st Place: Tom K.

 

Best Scooter

1^st Place: Caroline S.

2^nd Place: Maivn and Julia Jane B.

 

Best Stroller

1^st Place: Micha as Winnie the Poo

2^nd Place: Emma, Ruby, and Levi as Minnie Mouse and Chip and Dale

 

Best Child Costume

1^st Place: Juliet as Pua the Pig from Moana

2^nd Place: Isabella as Cinderella

 

Best Pet

1^st Place: Myles as Mickey

2^nd Place: Hadley

 

Best Group

1^st Place: Maniatis’s, Fichandler’s, and Raiter’s as the characters from Inside Out

 

Best Wagon

1^st Place: Ava S.

2^nd Place: J.J. as Batman

3^rd Place: Bria

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