Stop messing with Independence Day!
Independence Day is July 4th. We celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence which occured on July 4, 1776. Not “around” July 4th. ON July 4th. The celebration traditionally includes parades, barbeques and fireworks.
Des Moines has a free outdoor concert called “Yankee Doodle Pops” featuring a jazz band and then the Des Moines Symphony. The concert concludes with fireworks. All of this takes place on July 2nd! I assumed that a Yankee Doodle Pops event would happen on the 4th. Makes sense, no? Obvious, I thought, but apparently just wrong.
And that’s not the only event scheduled for the wrong day. West Des Moines has their parade on July 3rd. Why?!
Parades are for the 4th to celebrate our independence so stop moving it around. By the way, parades require a marching band. If your parade doesn’t have a marching band, you should warn people.
(It took me many years to figure out was was “wrong” with parades in Saskatoon. No marching bands. Ugh.)
