Freedom Fiesta Kiddie Parade set for Saturday
(Seguin) — The countdown officially begins for the annual KWED Freedom Fiesta. This year’s Independence Day celebration will be held from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday in downtown Seguin. Kicking off that night’s events will be the annual Kiddie Parade around Central Park. For years, the Guadalupe County Republican Women has hosted the non-partisan patriotic celebration for local kids.
Longtime coordinator of the Kiddie Parade is Kelly Follis. Follis says the Fourth of July is already a great time in Seguin and says this parade is just one more way to ensure that kids celebrate to the fullest.
“This year again as in the past, we are kicking off the Kiddie Parade right at the beginning of Freedom Fiesta so 6 o’clock on Saturday, the 29th of June and our Uncle Sam who is also known as Sheriff Elect Joshua Ray will lead the kids around the Central Park. It’s a short walk but it allows everybody who is there at Freedom Fiesta to share and celebrate these kids and get to watch this innocent patriotism on display and we are just so glad to be a part of this and we have a bevy of elected officials who are also helping judge the kids,” said Follis.
Follis says there are three categories in which kids can participate in. She says the only objective for each is that they show up in their patriotic best.
“We have three categories of winners. We have two prizes in each category. So one category is just Walking, dressed in their patriotic best and then we have Self-propelled riding which could be a bike, a scooter, anything that goes with the kids own power and then we have the third category which is the Electric Vehicles.
They are propelled by other means and they can decorate those as much as they like and follow Uncle Sam and then come back to near the gazebo where we will give awards to those and once again our Mayor Donna Dodgen and our County Judge Kyle Kutscher will be handing out awards and wrapping things up,” said Follis.
According to Follis, the best part of the event is that there is no cost or registration.
“It’s a great event. You don’t have to register. You just come, maybe get there 15 minutes early. It’s pretty warm so if you gather right there on Donegan by the gazebo, you will see us there and we will get everybody lined up and then right after the national anthem, we will kick off our Kiddie Parade and the kids will just follow Joshua Ray or Uncle Sam down River Street and back. Then hang out a little bit, get awards and then kick off Freedom Fiesta and enjoy that family fun with the whole gang and have a good time,” said Follis.
Again, the Kiddie Parade begins at 6 p.m. this Saturday. It will be followed by plenty of fun during the annual Freedom Fiesta. This year’s event will include live music by Brandon Michael. A special section will also be available for dancing with music by DJ D Trayne. This year’s event includes live gaming, moon bounces, balloon animals, face painting, vendors and over 20 food trucks and non-profit food booths.
Those wishing to learn more about the ins and outs of the annual KWED Freedom Fiesta are encouraged to pick up this month’s magazine edition of Seguin Today. Copies are available at various locations around town or at Seguin Radio KWED. Folks can also check it out online at SeguinToday.com. This year’s 4th of July celebration will be held from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 29 in downtown Seguin.
Freedom Fiesta also marks the official kickoff for the city of Seguin’s four day 4th of July Celebration. Freedom Fiesta will be followed with a Patriotic Concert on Sunday, June 30; the annual Fireworks Fiesta at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 3 and the Biggest Small Town Fourth of July Parade in Texas at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 4.