TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Thousands of Southern Arizonans escaped the desert heat Saturday, winding their way up the Catalina Highway to celebrate Independence Day at the 53rd annual Summerhaven Fourth of July Parade on Mount Lemmon. This year's event carried added significance as the nation marked the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
A military flyover opened the festivities before a procession of community groups, antique vehicles, local organizations and animal rescues made their way through the mountain community's main street.
Among the participants were members of the Tucson chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, dressed in period clothing to commemorate the nation's founding.
"We're the only country on Earth founded on the strength of an idea," said Rudy Bird, secretary of the Tucson chapter.
Fellow member Jack Slutes said the mountain's mild summer weather made the traditional colonial attire much more comfortable than it would be in Tucson.
"Oh, it feels so nice," Slutes said. "Just the perfect weather for wearing a bunch of layers of wool and cotton."
Summerhaven, a small mountain community at roughly 8,000 feet in elevation, has long been a popular Fourth of July destination for Tucson-area residents looking to trade triple-digit temperatures for cool pine forests and small-town celebrations.
The annual parade is organized by the Mount Lemmon Women's Club and serves as one of the community's signature events.
Event organizer Christina Grossman, president of the Mount Lemmon Women's Club, said many parade entries return year after year, including the Forever Home Donkey Rescue, whose animals travel from Benson to participate.
"We also have the Forever Home Donkey Rescue," Grossman said. "From Benson they travel all the way up to our mountain. And so we have our donkeys."
Grossman said the celebration reflects what makes Summerhaven unique.
"As a destination, we are a place that we hope you can find a sense of home, a sense of deep community," she said.
For Bird, the holiday was also an opportunity to reflect on the nation's founding principles during the semiquincentennial celebration.
"Our true national treasures — the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence — and we ought to cherish them and remember the ideals for which our ancestors fought," he said.
Fourth of July festivities in Summerhaven continued throughout the holiday weekend with live music and community events following the parade.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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