The Morgan Hill Freedom Fest—one of the oldest parades in the county—has exploded like fireworks over the years, growing from one day to two days.
The beloved hometown event, which started in 1876 with sack races, a picnic and parade now includes a parade, street dance, car show, family fun night at the aquatic center, live music and patriotic singing.
The celebration starts at 6 p.m. July 3 with a patriotic sing and music festival, capped with a downtown street dance. Sunday night’s singers include local school children led by Karen Crane for the Patriotic Sing and Musical with the National Anthem sung by incoming Sobrato High School freshman, Angelina Madriaga. Also performing are Brooklyn Anderson and cover band the Hack Jammers.
Monday’s events include an early morning 5K for adults and a kids’ 1-mile race, a car cruise, a parade and a fireworks display with a concert on the green.
“It used to be a parade, fireworks and picnic, and then we started the 5K race and then we started the car cruise and parade together,” says parade chair Bob Hunt.
Hunt, along with his wife and co-chair Maureen Hunt, have overseen Fourth of July festivities in Morgan Hill for the past 27 years.
“It’s a darn good parade with lots of great events—all of them, all seven,” says Bob Hunt.
Car enthusiasts can catch vintage vehicles warming up the parade route before the parade floats through downtown. The cruise will end with a car show at the Centennial Community Center.
The parade this year will include some of last year’s best contenders, including Grand Sweepstakes Winner St. Catherine’s Church and most Patriotic Winner, the Freedom Fest Patriotic Singers.
“They are all wonderful,” says Maureen Hunt.
Each year there is a patriotic theme people can decorate to, says Bob Hunt about the parade floats. This year’s theme is “America, My Home Sweet Home.”
“We’ve had some really excellent float builders,” he continues. “A lot of do-it-yourself floats—like last year we had the St. Catherine’s for the second year in a row take Grand Sweepstakes with their float because they did such an outstanding job and they did it themselves.”
“They had the Statue of Liberty in New York, and people had their suitcases and they were coming to America from all of their homelands,” says Maureen Hunt, recalling St. Catherine’s 2014 winning float for ‘Destination America.’
The Independence Day celebration has grown over the last several decades and continues to be one of the few celebrations in the Bay Area that includes events all day. It’s the only event run entirely by volunteers.
After the parade, folks can head over to the Aquatics Center and splash down at the water park before the fireworks light up the sky.
The July Fourth concert on the green includes musical performances by Country Cougar, The Patriotic Singers and The Usual Suspects.
It’s a darn good parade with lots of great events—all of them, all seven.
