Tyler’s Knollwood neighborhood hosts annual Independence Day parade

Published 5:30 pm Tuesday, July 4, 2017

For 23 years, residents of Tyler’s Knollwood neighborhood have gathered to celebrate Independence Day with a parade.

Children decorate their bikes and tricycles. Crowds wearing red, white and blue attire, along with their dogs and pups, get ready to parade behind the leading fire trucks.

Neighborhood residents take part in organizing the event and bringing it to fruition.

Cristina Nunez, part of the organizing team, provided punch and cookies for the end of the parade; Ed Grounds provided the always-popular ice cream; and Marissa Boerger, another organizer, helped with the parade route, setting up flags to guide the parade participants and attendees.

“Our duties were mainly being in charge of social media and making sure the neighborhood knew the parade was happening today and at what time,” Boerger said.

Resident Carolyn Kindle said the parade has been going on since she first moved to the neighborhood in 1993.

“They have been doing it for so long my kids are bringing their kids now,” Kindle said.

Not all attendees are Knollwood residents, but because of the fun surrounding the event, decide to attend and take part in the parade.

Bobby Hennigan, from DeRidder, Louisiana, traveled to Tyler to spend time with his family and was told about the parade. Hennigan helped his grandson, Caleb Wright, 5, decorate his tricycle in shiny red and blue garland with a patriotic spinner wand attached to it.

“This is great. This is what it is all about — having a local parade is really neat,” Hennigan said.

Ashley Stone, 8, wore a red commemorative t-shirt and fairy wings with red and blue shiny stars to the event.

“My mom chose my top and I chose my wings,” Stone said. “My favorite part about the parade was the ice cream.”

Ashley’s mother, Donna Stone, has been attending the parade since it first started.

“We live in a different neighborhood, but we come every year because kids look forward to it all year long,” Mrs. Stone said. “They get to ride the fire truck and have so much fun.”

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