Youth, Fun, at the ‘Heart’ of this Year’s 4th of July Parade

The annual 4th of July parade, presented by Natick Friends of the 4th, is gearing up for its 62nd march through town. The theme for this year’s parade will be “Young at Heart.”
According to organizers, this year’s theme is an inclusive way to get younger residents involved in the community’s long-standing celebration.
“In discussing this year’s parade theme, it was decided to try [to] get the youth of Natick involved in the parade, thus making it truly for the young and old,” said Peter Mundy, chairman of Natick Friends of the 4th. “We thought, what better way to do that than to make it this year’s theme? After some discussion, ‘Young at Heart’ was chosen.”
To celebrate the theme, new youth awards will be presented during the celebration. Natick resident, Joe Landry, who has been involved with the youth of Natick for many years, has been named 2017’s grand marshal.
“After it was decided that ‘Young at Heart’ was going to be this year’s theme, one of our committee members brought his name up as a possible choice, and, almost instantaneously, we all agreed he would be perfect,” said Mundy. “Joe truly epitomizes this year’s theme due to his many years of involvement with the youth of Natick and Natick Little League, and how he really does have the young at heart.”
The parade begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Wilson Middle School and travels down Route 27 to the Natick Common before making a left onto Route 135. The parade concludes just after St. Patrick’s Church. The anticipation for the parade, Mundy says, is a highlight as the organization prepares for the event.
“It is a tradition that has been going on for years, and [is] something people look forward to, as is evidenced by the chairs that start lining up the day before the parade,” he said. “Downtown is usually packed with spectators, and down around the corner on Route 135. It’s fun to see the chairs going out to reserve spots.”
The excitement is just what drives the Friends of the 4th to create Natick’s annual 4th of July celebration each year. The all-volunteer, non-profit organization relies solely on generous donations from residents and local businesses, thus making it a truly community-driven event.
There are four levels of sponsorship for the parade. Presenting sponsors are those donating $1,500 or more to the parade. The next three tiers are aptly named right, white and blue. At the time of publication, presenting sponsors include: Lexus of Northborough, MathWorks, Middlesex Savings Bank, Mutual-One Bank, Needham Bank, and Roche Bros.