A day full of fun and sun unfolded in the city of Kentwood, celebrating Independence Day with a lineup of activities that included a 5K run, a parade and a carnival.
The Fourth of July festivities kicked off with a vibrant parade, drawing the community together in full force.
First-time parade attendees experienced the excitement down Walma Avenue. Relishing in seeing the fire trucks, police cars, floats and more blasting their sirens to pump the crowds up.
Following the commencement of the parade a carnival started behind City Hall, offering fair food, games and rides.
The Giant Drop was a favorite, with sisters at the carnival describing their experience: "Yeah, it goes really high. And then when you do the drop, it's scary, but it's also pretty fun."
Friends Ezra and Filberto echoed this, "It does not look so high, but when we go up, it looks so high."
WATCH: Kentwood 4th of July highlights:
Kentwood Parks and Recreation emphasized the importance of creating these community experiences. Program Coordinator Shelby Henshaw expressed, "It's great to see all their smiling faces and them having fun. It's just really rewarding knowing that all the work we're putting into providing such a fun day is happening, and they're having fun."
While the Fourth of July is about enjoyment, it's also a time to reflect on what the day signifies.
Tigan and Nayah, a pair of sisters who brought their families out for the fun shared their thoughts: "I think as our kids are getting older, it's fun to be able to talk about our country and our nation and the freedom we have as Americans, and seeing the veterans and honoring them."
Nayah added, "I think it's easy to ruminate on all the things you want to fix and all the problems, but also being thankful for all the good."
The rest of the afternoon consisted of food trucks, beer tents for the adults, and a lineup of live music for the entire family, before capping off with a Fireworks show.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
