Thousands celebrate Independence Day at Monument parade

The annual Tri-Lakes Fourth of July Parade ran through downtown Monument Saturday morning.

Thousands of people wearing red, white and blue lined the streets to watch the holiday tradition.

“Alot of local folks come by and the kids are in the parade,” said Rob Pontbriand, who was watching the parade with his family. “It’s become a tradition for us.”

People of all ages came to celebrate Independence Day with their friends and family.

“I think more and more every year this is probably a really vital thing to show the younger generation what America really stands for and what it was built on,” said Gene Squires, who has gone to the parade for five years.

Families said they enjoy watching parade floats, but they know there’s much more to Independence Day.

“It’s also really nice to take an important step back and really focus on what the holiday is about in general, so it’s an opportunity for us as a family to do that,”Pontbriand said.

Paradegoers said it’s important to recognize our military on the Fourth of July.

“I just want to thank all of our military that are active and past,” Squires said. “Whether they’ve been deployed or not, the sacrifice that they have given us so that we can stand here and celebrate this is pretty cool.”

After the parade, the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce hosted a street fair and beer garden with live music.