The East Longmeadow Fourth of July Parade is a longtime tradition that continues in 2025.
Reminder Publishing file photos
Ahead of Independence Day, the hosts of “So That Reminds Me” were joined by two individuals from East Longmeadow and Enfield, where two of the largest Fourth of July celebrations happen in the area.
On the June 20 episode, Managing Editor Dennis Hackett and myself sat down with East Longmeadow Rotarian and member of the East Longmeadow parade committee Adele Hill, to talk about the town’s upcoming festivities.
The East Longmeadow Fourth of July Parade will occur on Friday, July 4. At 10 a.m., the East Longmeadow Fire Department will lead the parade from the high school and head down Maple Street to North Main Street, then to Mapleshade Avenue and Elm Street, and end at Birchland Park Middle School.
The parade will consist of divisions of the military, business organizations and the community at large, along with about 25 floats or so, although it differs every year, Hill noted.
At the time of the recording, Hill said there were seven confirmed bands, including the “Mummers,” the Marquis of Granby, Philadelphia String Band, the Great American Marching Band, the Yankee Doodle Band, the Connecticut Patriots and more to come.
Every year, the parade attracts “tens of thousands” of people, Hill shared, and spectators will begin lining up their chairs on the parade route a day or two prior.
For those interested in volunteering to help or to march in the parade, visit tinyurl.com/2frjvkrc to register.
In addition to the parade, the East Longmeadow carnival will run from Friday, June 27 to Thursday, July 3, at Center Field — also known as Veterans Field — next to the rotary. It will be open each evening from 6-10 p.m., weather permitting. In case of inclement weather, it will be canceled.
On July 4, Hill said there will be a “matinee carnival” for parade goers, which will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
While the carnival is run by an outside entity, Hill said attendees can expect to have “lots of fun” between the good food, the beer garden, rides, music and much more.
On Thursday, July 3, the town of East Longmeadow will also have its first Laser Light Show and concert at Mapleshade Elementary School on Mapleshade Avenue. Trailer Trash, a local band, will perform at 7 p.m., followed by the light show at 9 p.m. The rain date is Saturday, July 5.
The Laser Light Show will be hosted by Pinnacle Laser Productions. “They’re [going to] bring a 30-by-28-foot inflatable wall to show the Laser Light Show,” Hill said.
She went on to say that these are not the town’s typical fireworks, and while they are not trying to replace that, she is uncertain if it’s feasible for the fireworks to return in the future based on their geographical location and the safety of the people who own homes in the area.
Regardless of the change, Hill said she still expects a great turnout.
“It’s an experience that a lot of people don’t have,” she said, referencing the laser show.
While there is much to look forward to, Hill said she is most excited for the community to come together and enjoy themselves through these offerings.
In nearby Enfield, the town is celebrating its 40th year of July 4 festivities, spread across three days.
Izzy Post Ruhland, the marketing director for the Enfield celebration, spoke with Executive Editor Chris Maza about the celebration, saying, “It’s a big year.”
The weekend will kick off on Friday, July 11 at 5 p.m., on the Enfield Town Green, with music, a beer garden and more, until about 11 or 11:30 p.m.
On Saturday, July 12, the festival will begin at 9 a.m. with the Independence 5K Road Race, followed by the parade, all-day children’s activities, a craft fair, music and so on.
The parade kicks off at 11 a.m. at the old Town Hall, by Post Office and South Road in Enfield, on Enfield Street, and goes all the way down to the Town Hall. Post Ruhland said there will be rolling road closures, which will be shared by the Enfield Police Department as well as on the Enfield Fourth of July Town Celebration’s Facebook page.
Post Ruhland noted that the final stretch of the 5K is on the parade route, so folks are encouraged to get there early to cheer on the runners. She said last year’s 5K had over 200 runners.
On the last day of the celebration, Sunday, July 13, there will be a car show at 10 a.m., along with more children and teens’ activities, K-9 demonstrations and all-day music, to name a few happenings. The weekend will be capped off by fireworks at 9:45 p.m.
This year’s fireworks will be honoring Frank and Carol Dodd, sponsored by their families.
Post Ruhland said the best place to watch the fireworks is on the Town Green at the Enfield Fourth of July Town Celebration.
“There’s nothing like watching from the green,” she said. This allows for an unobstructed view, accompanied by music and more. She added that the fireworks are her favorite part of the entire weekend.
Post Ruhland has been a part of the committee for 10 years. While she lives in Virginia now, she comes back every July for the celebration and is one of the upwards of 60,000 people who attend this annual event.
“Just seeing 60,000 people on the green all smiling and knowing that you’ve put all this hard work into it, to be able to create those memories for those families, it’s something that you truly can’t put into words,” she shared.
The events will happen or shine. Free parking is available. Post Ruhland said some folks around the area will charge for parking, but there is parking at the mall for free. From there, a free shuttle bus service will run between the mall and the green about every 15 minutes. There will be signage for where to go. Post Ruhland noted that the shuttle buses run until after the music and fireworks are complete.
People can find more information on the Enfield Fourth of July Town Celebration at enfieldcelebration.org, as well as Facebook and Instagram.
The Enfield Fourth of July Town Celebration is entirely funded by sponsors and donations, and this year, Reminder Publishing is a proud sponsor, along with several other organizations.
Post Ruhland said they are still accepting sponsorships and interested sponsors are encouraged to reach out.
“It’s just a wonderful event,” she said. “Our whole mission is to make sure that this three-day festival is free of charge — no family should be turned away because of their inability to pay an admission fee or a child can’t do an activity or ride a ride or play a game, so everything we host is free of charge and that’s something we will always stick to.”
In addition to these two towns’ upcoming festivities, there are more July 4 celebrations occurring all over Western Massachusetts. To learn about events happening near you, listen to the full episode at thereminder.com/our-podcast or search for “So That Reminds Me” on your favorite podcasting platform.
