Real shot: The largest National Day parade in Northern California ?

Busy for more than a month and haven't had time to take care of the blog, now a little relaxed, quickly post a short article to say hello, otherwise this garden will really be deserted. Some friends asked if we went on another trip, but actually during this time we have been busy with moving. Recently, due to changes in my wife's job, our whole family moved from Southern California to Redwood City in Northern California. Just a few days after moving into the new house, we happened to catch the 75th Independence Day parade in the morning of July 4th. According to the internet, Redwood City will hold the 75th Independence Day parade, which is said to be the largest in Northern California. In the past, the small town we lived in Southern California did not hold a parade, only music and fireworks. Although some surrounding cities held parades, we had never been to see them. This time, unexpectedly, there was a parade right at our doorstep in the new house, and it was the largest in Northern California, so we naturally didn't want to miss this opportunity to join in the fun. At around 9 o'clock on July 4th, we drove to a large parking lot near the parade route, and after parking the car there, we walked two blocks to a street where the parade would pass by. Although it was still half an hour before the parade started, the streets on both sides were already filled with people who had come to watch. Men, women, old and young, all dressed in red, white, and blue, with the American flag worn on their heads, painted on their faces, worn on their bodies, and held in their hands. People were excited and their faces were filled with genuine pride and joy. The streets were bustling with people coming and going, and the crowd of spectators was growing, but the whole street was orderly. The police officers on duty on the street were idle, chatting with passersby from time to time. The police officers patrolling on electric scooters also seemed relaxed and happy. Occasionally, a helicopter from the security department would hover over the parade route, causing several very cute children in front of us to excitedly wave their small flags and shout at the sky. At 10 o'clock, the parade officially began. The front of the parade was a procession of motorcycles. A fleet of heavy motorcycles, in neat formation, roared from a distance. The leading motorcycle had three flags, one national flag and two flags of unknown organizations. At this moment, a funny incident occurred. A tall young man in a tank top and shorts was leisurely skateboarding in front of the motorcycle procession, as if he wanted to show off his skills to the audience. But for some reason, he suddenly took a big tumble, and the skateboard under his feet instantly freed itself from the heavy burden and slid forward freely. Despite the young man's large build, he was agile, and he quickly got up from the road, not caring whether he was injured, and ran after the skateboard that had abandoned him. This scene almost made me burst into laughter. Following the motorcycle procession was the Peninsula Celebration Association. The Peninsula Celebration Association is a non-profit civilian organization. They are responsible for organizing the Independence Day parade activities every year, inviting various companies and organizations, arranging the parade route and order. In fact, the Independence Day parade in the United States is a very open celebration, and any company, organization, social group, or even individual can apply to participate. Of course, terrorist organizations and criminal organizations are excluded. The following parade procession was truly diverse, from young Boy Scouts to retired veterans, from military bands to various entertainment organizations, from various military personnel to Miss California, from churches to LGBTQ organizations, from gymnastics to martial arts, there was a wide variety. The dignitaries, politicians, police, and fire departments naturally did not want to miss this opportunity to connect with the people. There are too many different groups to introduce one by one, so please take a look at the pictures. (A large number of pictures, please be patient and take a look, friends). An hour and a half passed, and the colorful parade processions passed in front of us one by one, leaving us dazzled. What was even more infectious was the carefree and joyful atmosphere, as well as the genuine patriotism inside and outside the parade procession. I would like to express special thanks to friends who have visited and supported us during this time. I wish you all a happy and healthy summer!