What a scorcher.
This year’s Town celebration is one for the record books. The near-record heat did not stop the San Jose Wind Symphony performers who began just after the children’s bicycle parade around Oak Meadow, led by Mayor Mary Badame.
The event was moved up one hour due to temperature and the group did an excellent performance of rousing music.
Plenty of people came out to celebrate, including Anna, Peter, Emma and Zoe Harbison—Zoe rode her bike in the parade.
The San Jose Wind Symphony performance included several of John Phillip Sousa’s military marches, along with a brief history of all of the music offered.
Souza was a Marine and the 17th director of “The President’s Own” band from 1880-1892. During this time, he wrote “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” America’s national march, and the official march of the Marine Corps, “Semper Fidelis.”
Many of the children marched to these lively tunes.
There were shade umbrellas around the meadow with plenty of seating.
The Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation had an information tent with handouts. The Los Gatos chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution was also present.
There were several food trucks serving seemingly everything—plate lunches, waffles and fried chicken, shaved ice.
The frozen treats were very popular, as was the carousel and Billy Jones Wildcat train.
Eating shaved ice on the merry-go-round or while riding the rails was a good way to beat the heat.
Adult beverages were available in the Kiwanis Wine & Beer garden.
The hearty folks who attended enjoyed a spirited day, despite the peaking thermometers. Everyone in attendance seemed thankful to be living in “the land of the free and the home of the brave,” commemorating the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.
Now, what can we do about beach traffic?
