Parade Dreams
July 4 Event To Celebrate Freedom; Emphasis On One Park Hill
GPHN staff report
Justin Bresler has parade dreams. Like, actual dreams.
Bresler, who started the Park Hill Parade in 2010 with his family and some committed friends, also started having parade dreams soon after.
“It happens without fail every year,” he says. “They’re always some variation of the same theme. Like it’s the day before the parade and I haven’t done anything. Or it’s parade day and no one shows up, so I run around the neighborhood blowing a whistle!”
Whatever the reason, the result is the same.
“That’s when I know it’s time to start kicking the parade planning into gear.”
This year, however, there was no planning to be done because there was, initially, no information from the City and County of Denver on whether outdoor events would get the green light. That all changed in April when the city announced plans to allow for outdoor events of more than 5,000 people.
And so, the Park Hill Parade is on!
After a year off, the neighborhood event – and the largest Independence Day march in the city – will once again roll, march, strut, twirl and strum down 23rd Ave. between Dexter St. and Krameria St. on Sunday, July 4 starting at 1:30 p.m. Registration is open on the parade website at parkhillparade.org. Participation is, as always, free.
The return of the parade also brings with it a chance to revisit its mission as a community-building event. It’s a renewed opportunity to bring perspective on celebrations of freedom that have been highlighted since last summer’s racial justice protests — and the momentum for equity that the Black Lives Matter movement has brought to the forefront of our national consciousness.
It also is a chance to consider the historical facts of racism in Park Hill, as well as the present-day struggle of gentrification and political polarization. And so, as always, the organizers will strive to build bridges with the entire community to make sure we can always call ourselves “One Park Hill.”
This effort also brings with it a new name: The Park Hill Parade. While the event will continue to be held on July 4, the organizers feel the name change is important.
“We recognize that not everyone feels they got their freedom on July 4, 1776,” says Bresler. “As celebrations like Juneteenth take their rightful place among the major U.S. holidays, we want our event to honor that ongoing struggle.”
Make no mistake, the 2021 Park Hill Parade will still be a celebration of American values, just with a broader, more inclusive view on what those values are.
And as for those dreams?
“The same week that the City announced the lifting of event caps, I had a dream where Prince visited me and asked if I needed help planning this year’s parade. Of course, I said yes!” Bresler says.
If that isn’t a sign, we don’t know what is.
See you on the 4th, Park Hill!
