From 1950 to 1970, Arlington experienced unprecedented growth. The population in 1950 was 7,692; by 1970, it was 90,643. Yet, as the city transformed, there was a growing desire for community spirit. With a nod to Arlington’s small-town roots, the first Independence Day Parade was in 1965. What started as kids on bicycles in a city park became a full display of patriotism and pageantry. Now the longest-running annual event in Arlington, the parade draws over 75,000 spectators and 100+ entries.
Arlington Independence Day Parade logo
From humble beginnings to a decades-long tradition
Dottie Lynn (1926-2006) and a few members of Church Women United organized the first Arlington Independence Day Parade in 1965. (Dottie Lynn would later become one of the first women Arlington City Council members. She is also the namesake for Dottie Lynn Parkway and the Dottie Lynn Recreation Center.) The “parade” consisted of youths on bicycles decorated with red, white, and blue who pedaled around Randol Mill Park. It’s said that the kids put playing cards in their bicycle spokes to sound like motorcycles. Reportedly, a kazoo band played impromptu sessions of “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “Stars and Stripes Forever.” The parade had humble beginnings but showed a community spirit.
Today, the parade is Arlington’s largest (and longest-running) annual tradition. Supposedly, it’s the largest Independence Day Parade in Texas. An estimated 75,000 people attend each year—in a sea of red, white, and blue—with the route expanding to a two-mile trek around Downtown Arlington and UTA. With dozens of floats, marching bands, car clubs, civic groups, youth groups, schools, churches, and other organizations participating, it has truly become a community-wide event. There are over 100 entries in the parade, and nowadays, it is also live-streamed on social media. The parade is organized and presented by the Arlington 4th of July Association—an all-volunteer and nonprofit organization.
Rain on July 4th in Arlington is uncommon but not improbable. (The heat, though, is a given.) Rain delayed the parade a few times, but the show continued. Organizers only canceled the parade once, in 2020, because of COVID. Yet, a few event organizers met anyway and walked the route to keep the tradition going.
The parade will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2025. Expect it to be the biggest and best one yet!
2024 Parade
Photo Credits: Arlington Independence Day Parade
Blog post by Jason S. Sullivan, 07-04-24
Jason S. Sullivan 