Sandwich gets back into full swing with its Fourth of July celebration
SANDWICH— "Back At It 22" read the shirts of Sandwich Recreation Department employees at the town's Fourth of July celebration, and with COVID-19 restrictions limiting last year's festivities, that message was felt by paradegoers one and all.
"I'm glad to have everything back in full swing," Sandwich resident Matt Spillane said. "It's been great."
The "Spirit of Sandwich" parade on Monday kicked off with a police and fire escort from the former Henry T. Wing School, where it made its way down Water Street and finished on Beale Avenue.
Vintage cars decked out in their red-white-and-blue finest, military trucks, Sandwich businesses and local politicians all joined in the parade, passing out candy and beads to the crowd.
Daniel and Patrick Lu, ages 7 and 6, visited the Cape from Pembroke, both sporting baseball caps overflowing with candy and trinkets from the parade.
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Fourth of July paradegoers net baseball caps full of candy, and more
For the brothers, the best part of the parade was grabbing their favorite sweets — Skittles and Tootsie Rolls, of course — and watching the vintage cars.
Daniel Lu even participated in the town's "Fun Run" before the parade, a three-mile race that started at the Wing School at 9 a.m.
"It was really fun," he said of the race. "I got to finish it with my cousin."
Like other paradegoers, Daniel and Patrick Lu headed over to the Henry T. Wing School after the procession for field day activities like an egg toss, a "foam party" courtesy of the Sandwich Fire Department, and music deejayed by JT's Chronicles.
The parade floats were judged by members of the Sandwich Chamber of Commerce, who have been judging the parade for at least 15 years, Executive Director Denise Dever said.
The judges are asked to choose the best out of four categories: most patriotic, best overall, my hometown and most creative.
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They kept mum about their scores, but all judges acknowledged how glad they were to have a full day of Fourth of July festivities.
"It's a great hometown parade," Dever said.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Sandwich 4th of July parade 2022 festivities back with no restrictions
