Summerlin Fourth of July parade to mark 30th year

The Las Vegas Valley is invited to the master-planned community of Summerlin on July 4 to celebrate Independence Day at the 30th Annual Summerlin Council Patriotic Parade — Southern Nevada’s largest and most colorful Fourth of July parade.

American spirit will be on full display at this year’s parade with 70 entries, including a 50-foot American Eagle, 40-foot Grand Old Flag plus 18 giant inflatable balloons, veteran, and military organizations, patriotic and pop culture-themed floats and performing groups. The parade also will include the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Aviators and the Vegas Thrill. Special this year is a trio of “Out of the Parade Vault” entries, some of the most popular and significant floats from the last three decades re-created in honor of the parade’s 30th anniversary.

The parade begins at 8:30 a.m. with the escort division, followed by the official parade kick-off at 9 a.m. The 2024 Grand Marshal is Col. Nicholas R. Pederson, Commander of the 432d Wing and the 432d Air Expeditionary Wing, Creech Air Force Base, Nevada.

The throwback floats sprinkled throughout the parade will include: Stars and Stripes Forever, which set the standard for dazzling displays and the grand floats we see, today: Visions of Candyland, featuring its original sponsor, Summerlin Hospital Medical Center, and the original players, who were just 8 years old when the float debuted; and Ferris Bueller’s Independence Day Off, one of the most popular and first-ever performance floats, which also will feature an original player in the role of Ferris.

The parade features a myriad of new floats including, Spiderman Saves the City, Chillin’ with the Villains and Promi the Magical Zoonicorn. Several popular patriotic-themed entries return this year, including All-Star Salute to the Military, honoring the service men and women from Nellis and Creech Air Force Bases; America Sings!, featuring the Desert Angels gospel choir; and America Standing Tall, featuring a 15-foot Miss Stars and Stripes towering high above the crowd.

Popular performance entries include Danza Del Carrizo Native American performing group, Live Arts Collective from the West Las Vegas Arts Center, the Swing It! Girls, Vegas Golden Gals and the Bonanza High School marching band. Veterans and military organizations will be represented by the Marine Corps League, American Legion, Forgotten Not Gone, Southern Nevada Military Vehicle Association, Military Order of the Purple Heart and Submarine Veterans of Las Vegas.

Returning to the parade this year are fan favorites, Star Wars: The Fourth Awakens, featuring the Stars Wars Club of Southern Nevada; Mario Karts on Parade, featuring Mario and Luigi; and Red, White and Bluey.

More than 2,500 people are expected to participate in the parade and more than 500 volunteers from dozens of local schools and community groups will assist with parade operations. Over 20,000 cubic feet of helium will be used for the giant inflatables. More than 500 American Flags will be on display throughout the community. Attendance along the parade route is expected to top 50,000 people.

The parade is organized by The Summerlin Council, the nonprofit arm of the Summerlin Community Association dedicated to the social, educational and recreational enrichment of residents.

The parade is free and open to the public. Parade-goers may reserve personal viewing areas curbside with blankets, chairs, etc. Those spaces are available on a first-come, first serve basis and may be set up along the parade route sidewalks no earlier than 7 a.m. on July 3. All persons and their property must remain on the curb. Everyone is encouraged to arrive early, bring water and wear sunscreen.

Title sponsor is Howard Hughes /Summerlin. Major sponsors include Station Casinos, Summerlin Hospital Medical Center, City National Bank, Diversified Protection Corp., Tri Pointe Homes, One Hour A/C and Heating, Palmer Electric, Pure Plumbing &Air, Pinkbox Doughnuts, BrightView Landscape Services, Par 3 Landscape Management, Downtown Summerlin, LandCare and Cox.

The parade begins at the corner of Hillpointe Road and Hills Center Drive in The Trails village of Summerlin. The parade then travels south toward Village Center Circle, then west on Trailwood Drive. The parade ends near the corner of Trailwood Drive and Spring Gate Lane.

For more information and a map of the parade route, visit summerlinpatrioticparade.com.

Now, in its 34th year of development, Summerlin offers more amenities than any other Southern Nevada community. These include 300-plus parks of all sizes; 200-plus miles of interconnected trails; resident-exclusive community centers; 10 golf courses; 26 public, private and charter schools; a public library and performing arts center; Summerlin Hospital Medical Center; houses of worship representing a dozen different faiths; office parks; and neighborhood shopping centers. Downtown Summerlin offers fashion, dining, entertainment, Red Rock Resort and Class-A office buildings. The City National Arena is home of the Vegas Golden Knights National Hockey League practice facility. The Las Vegas Ballpark is a world-class Triple-A baseball stadium and home of the Las Vegas Aviators.

In total, Summerlin offers nearly 100 floor plans in approximately 20 neighborhoods throughout nine distinct villages and districts. Homes, built by many of the nation’s top homebuilders, are available in a variety of styles — from single-family homes to town homes, priced from the mid-$400,000s to more than $1 million. For information on all actively selling neighborhoods, visit Summerlin.com. Before you visit, call the builders to check on hours of operation. Phone numbers for each neighborhood are on Summerlin.com.