It was no accident that Rob and Christina Paul were planted on a pair of lawn chairs at the corner of First Street and Orange Avenue long before the 77th annual Independence Day Parade stepped off in Coronado on Saturday morning.
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The couple from Encanto got up early and took the ferry over from downtown San Diego and set up camp at the foot of the historic Fourth of July celebration.
“It’s the birthday of the greatest nation in the history of the world,” said Rob Paul, a U.S. Navy veteran who now dabbles in real estate sales. “It’s pretty amazing that this republic has been in existence for this long. Hopefully, it will stay that way for the next 250 years — and beyond.”
The Pauls were two of thousands of people who flocked to the Crown City on Saturday to celebrate the semiquincentennial of America’s founding.
Crowds began arriving well in advance of the 10 a.m. parade start time, lining the length of Orange Avenue. They brought blankets and chairs and flags and drinks. They wore all manner of red, white and blue and toasted the anniversary that marks two and a half centuries.
Haley Canaday didn’t have far to walk; she and her 10-year-old daughter Sunshine have lived in Coronado for several years.
“This is our third year,” said Canaday, who was wearing American flag overalls, red and blue bows in her hair and dangling earrings that spelled out U.S.A. “I’m celebrating the People’s America — the immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, Black, White and everything in-between.”
Canaday said this year’s observance was more special than most.
“I hope that everyone honors what our country was founded on; love and unity are the only way to move forward,” she said.
No fewer than five separate renditions of “The Star-Spangled Banner” were performed every other block along Orange Avenue as the festivities got underway, with listeners stopping and removing their caps for each rendition to pay tribute to a nearby American flag.
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A flyover at the start of the the Independence Day parade at Coronado on Saturday, July 4. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
People stand during the national anthem. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Before the start of the Independence Day parade, William Burns, 9, throws a football. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
A man dressed in an American-themed steampunk outfit poses during the Independence Day parade. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Jerome Paquette, 75, wears an American-themed outfit. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The event opened a few minutes after 10 a.m. with a flyover of four military planes soaring over Orange Avenue in a diamond formation. The audience on the ground let loose with cheering gasps and claps.
Others took advantage of the crowds — and a high sun — to exercise one of the founding tenets of America: capitalism.
One company was offering commemorative T-shirts for $30, ballcaps for $35 and sweatshirts for $70. Ana Puig was less ambitious. She and her 7-year-old daughter built a red, white and blue cardboard vending machine and were selling bags of popcorn for $2 and bottled water for $1.
“We are trying to teach the kids how to make money and work hard,” Puig said between customers. “We are showing them that all are welcome, how to build community and that everybody has a different background but has the freedom to make a good life.”
Riley Schmidt, 12, gets some air from an American-themed ramp during the Independence Day parade. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
People watch vehicles pass by. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
A classic MG vehicle is shown decorated with American flags. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Members of the Coronado Ukulele Club participate in the Independence Day parade at Coronado on Saturday. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The Navy Band Southwest performs during the Independence Day parade. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Drummers of the Cameron Highlanders participate in the Independence Day parade at Coronado. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The parade itself featured all manner of entries: military color guards, fire trucks blasting sirens, walking bands, beauty queens on horseback and vintage cars. And of course, there were elected officials waving to voters from the back seats of convertibles.
Watching everything from his perch in Rotary Park, at the corner of Isabella and Orange avenues, stood 92-year-old Douglas Deauzat.
The former Navy engineer said he enrolled in college after two decades of military service and became a forensics expert and crime lab technician. He said every Fourth of July is a feat to be cherished, but witnessing the nation’s 250th birthday was almost unreal.
“It’s a great thing because you get to see the people pull together, and that’s the way it’s supposed to be,” Deauzat said. “It’s sort of a magic number. I probably won’t be here for the 275th.”
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