Independence Day Coronado style

As the entire adult population of planet Earth is probably aware, the United States of America celebrates its independence from Great Britain on July 4th each year. Independence Day is marked across the country with a holiday, usually supplemented with additional vacation days to make a long weekend of social gatherings and BBQs.

Celebrations in 2020 were muted because of the raging pandemic. So, July 4th 2021 presented an opportunity for towns and cities across the country to make up for lost time and mark the occasion with gusto.

Coronado, a small city across the bay from downtown San Diego, goes ‘all in’ on July 4, mounting a series of spectacular events over the course of the holiday weekend. The centrepiece of the celebration is a two-and-a-half-hour-long parade along Orange Avenue, the main drag through the city, running from one side of the island to the other.

I have been a spectator at one or two other parades but have never witnessed anything compared to the Coronado 4th of July spectacle. As an indication of the importance placed upon securing a good spot from which to watch, residents and visitors are prohibited from placing chairs along the parade course before five on the morning of the event. So, people stand ready to grab their preferred spot around four-thirty, racing to place their chairs, fold-up tables, blankets, and other picnic paraphernalia as soon as the minute hand reaches the top of the hour.

The parade itself starts five hours later, at ten o’clock, by which time the route is completely packed.

Those lucky residents living on Orange Avenue, particularly those with an upper-level abode, can literally stumble out of bed and enjoy the show from their balcony. Invitations to parties at such venues are highly sought after.

Stars and Stripes forever

Understandably, the occasion is a deeply felt display of patriotism, with people in the crowd sporting Stars and Stripes-themed hats, T-shirts, face-paint, or entire ensembles.

The proceedings commence with a playing of the national anthem, broadcast from almost a dozen commentary towers along the route. The towers then provide an accompanying narrative, introducing each group of participants as they pass.

The day’s celebrations benefit from the large military presence on the island, both active duty servicemen and women from the North Island Naval Base, as well as a large community of military retirees. Their contributions include marching bands, convoys of open-top vehicles carrying veterans of military campaigns, and aerial displays of naval aviation skills.

This year, my first as a Coronado resident, I volunteered to help decorate the temporary seating stands or ‘bleachers’ erected to accommodate dignitaries and photograph parade participants and spectators, providing a photographic record to which future parade planners could refer.

My bright red volunteer T-shirt empowered me to take both posed and candid shots with abandon—something I am less comfortable doing under normal circumstances. Although I’m a Brit and not a Yank, I felt completely included and swept along in the fun and community feel of the event.

I used a Panasonic Lumix S5 camera throughout the weekend, rotating between the kit 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom, a Lumix 85mm f/1.8 portrait lens, a Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 telephoto, and a Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 wide-angle zoom. I captured photographs of individuals and small groups in both colour and black and white but stuck with colour for the parade, crowds and other events. The photographs in this article should give you a flavour of this magnificent event, as well as the approach I took to fulfilling my role as ‘photographer-at-large’.

What is that smell?

Orange Avenue, a dual carriageway (in British parlance) with a wide grassy median (in American parlance), is pedestrianised for the occasion, allowing families to stroll or cycle along the busiest artery of the city. Kids chalk out circles on the road, each annotated with a numerical score, into which they hope a steaming sphere of excrement is deposited by one of the many horses participating in the parade. Think of it as horse-manure bingo.

As this tradition implies, horses—their droppings-and considering where the droppings drop—feature prominently at this event. It harkens back to the country’s history, when horses hauled stagecoaches and settler wagons, or carried cowboys across the prairie. The horse became an integral part of the country’s culture. San Diego County is also home to the Del Mar Race Track, giving rise to many stables and horse farms in the district, some of which are showcased in the parade.

Wheeled vehicles of all sizes also make their way along the parade route at a walking pace, giving spectators (and photographers) plenty of opportunities to admire gleaming paintwork, vintage styles, and eccentric drivers. Fans of motorised vehicles can enjoy multiple waves of classic American and British vehicles, as well as cars more likely to be found in a circus.

Fancy footwork

The third mode of locomotion along Orange Avenue, besides horseback or motor, is, of course, Shank’s pony. Once again, the military has a part to play via marching units of various sizes, as do local societies and clubs. Personally, the feature of the parade I enjoy most are the bands dotted throughout the stream of floats and displays. These might be well-drilled, military bands, in immaculate uniforms, marching in lock-step, or more casual high-school bands playing arrangements of popular tunes.

The standard of music enjoyed by spectators at the parade is uniformly high. A particular favourite is a bagpipe band, complete with a mace-wielding drum major and accompanying snare drum corps. I admit to experiencing a degree of cognitive dissonance, witnessing kilted bagpipers alongside palm trees in a setting of sunny blue skies. Still, if I closed my eyes, the discomfort soon dissipated. I take my hat off to musicians who not only can play in tune and in time but can do it while walking, surrounded by a distracting crowd of onlookers.

Dancing troupes also take the field, representing various ethnic communities, especially reflecting the large Asian and Hispanic populations in San Diego County. Fictional characters also make an appearance, possibly connected with the enormously successful ‘Comicon’ conference held annually in San Diego’s Conference Center, just across the Bay. It is a celebration of comic culture in all its manifestations, which in recent years has expanded to encompass science fiction on screen or television, complete with ‘cosplay’ superheroes wandering the streets.

It takes all sorts

Coronado is a prosperous community, as reflected in the high cost of the property, the beautifully manicured gardens throughout the city, and the expensive cars cruising around the streets. The crowd of people attending the parade is therefore not as diverse as the US population at large. Still, it comprises an interesting mix, all of whom are there to enjoy the festivities and each other’s company.

Some spectators are in large organised groups, gathering at predetermined locations, sharing a ‘potluck’ picnic breakfast or lunch, where participants bring along assigned, complementary dishes. Some are family units of parents and kids, and yet others are couples or individuals.

Just about everyone was happy to be photographed, often smiling or posing for the camera. Those individuals in the parade, many of whom were in costume, were, of course, delighted to be photographed. I found the 85mm f/1.8 lens to be close to ideal for these shots, although it did require that I occasionally back up to capture head-to-foot images. For head-and-chest shots, it was perfect.

Photographing the spectators turned out to be both the most challenging and enjoyable aspects of my assignment. I learned that engaging people and capturing a true representation of them is a real skill that professional photographers have clearly mastered. Photographing inanimate objects such as buildings and sculptures is much more straightforward!

Look to the sky

A second Independence Day tradition is a ‘parachute drop’ performed by marines from the nearby Naval Amphibious base. Popular spots for a clear view are the public golf course—which cordons off part of the course for the occasion—and the Silver Strand Beach, an isthmus that runs to the South.

At the appointed time (two o’clock on the dot), a slow-moving aircraft is spotted in the distance by the waiting crowds. Parachutes, bearing the word ‘NAVY’ in all-caps, open in quick succession as the marines leap from the plane. One of them opens up an enormous Stars and Stripes flag, secured to an ankle with a cable, which has been cleverly weighted to unfurl smoothly and then remain unfurled during their descent.

They soon disappear below the tree line. On this occasion, I was armed with my Lumix S5 and a Sigma 100-400mm zoom, shooting handheld. The photos are also digitally zoomed to an extent. I am tremendously impressed by the sharpness achievable via the combination of in-camera and in-lens stabilisation. Although the lens is relatively slow, the bright sunlight meant I could still shoot 1/500th sec at f/9.

On yer bike

A less structured, verging on the semi-chaotic event is a widely known ‘secret’ bike ride around the island, which takes place later in the day. A huge crowd of cyclists gathers at ‘Star Park Circle’, near the beach, and is then led off in a huge procession by several bicycle-mounted police officers. Other police officers hold up traffic at several busy junctions for the entourage to make their way to a bike path, which provides safe passage to the island’s far side.

By that time, the giant peloton is spread out sufficiently that cyclists can return safely to surface streets and wind their way back to the start point, enjoying views of the award-winning beach and ocean as they do. The entire route covers around six miles.

Are you ready for some fireworks?

What July 4th celebration would be complete without a firework display? Certainly not the one in Coronado. A series of synchronised displays occur all along the coast, effectively ensuring a great view from wherever you happen to park your deck chair.

The crowds in Coronado have a privileged vantage point, watching the shells explode above the San Diego Bay as they look East, adding that extra thrill of seeing the pyrotechnics reflected in the water below. The display lasts somewhere between ten and 15 minutes, concluding in a frenzy of aerial fireworks launched in rapid succession, bringing the display to a noisy climax. At my location, the Coronado Recreation Center, the party was just starting, with music and dancing underway beneath the starry skies.

Another Coronado July the 4th celebration completed for the year. Having dipped my toe in the water in 2021, I look forward to the 2022 edition, where I hope once again to be a photographer-at-large. I think there is a good chance that I will once again encounter the kilted bagpipers and Fez-wearing motorists, as well as enjoy the brass bands belting out Souza marches at full volume. I can’t wait!

Read more from Keith James



24 COMMENTS

  1. Thank you Keith. What a great series of photos.
    I like the “Make George Orwell Fiction Again”. If only.
    However the Pearl Harbour Survivors do seem to be rather young!
    Peter

    • Thank you Peter! Yes, the navy staff representing the Pearly Harbor Survivors organization were clearly not members of that cohort! December 2021 will be the 80th anniversary of that ‘day that will live in infamy’. So, if a sailor was 20 years old at the time, they would now be approaching 100 years of age. Although there are still some survivors around, they are probably few and far between now, and I suspect none of them either live in Coronado or were available to participate in the parade. Cheers! Keith

  2. Nicely described and beautifully illustrated Keith, thanks. I enjoyed your mix of B&W and colour as appropriate for the subject. Although as the Fourth of July is my wedding anniversary my attention will always be focused here!

    • Thanks Kevin. Much appreciated. Would it be fair to say that for you (and your wife) July 4th rather marks the End of Independence Day? 🙂 I am sure I am not the first smart aleck to try that gag… Cheers, Keith

  3. Looking at your images while on holiday on my phone. Can’t wait to watch your images on my computer screen when I get back home. My favorite images are the fireworks ones and the guy flying his kite with what looks like an island in the background.
    Jean

    • Thanks Jean! It was challenging taking the photos of the fireworks, because I was hand-holding the camera, fitted with a wide angle lens, and was trying to guess when the shells would reach the apex of their trajectory before exploding. The island in the background in the photo of the guy flying a kite at the beach is the most Northerly of the Coronado Islands, which are in Mexican waters. The one in the photo is referred to locally as ‘Mummy Island’ since it looks like a mummy lying on its back. Spooky! All the best! Keith

  4. Hi Dave – thank you! We were very fortunate to have a safe window in which to hold the event – after an extensive vaccination campaign in the city and before the appearance of the delta variant, which has now begun to drive us backwards, with much more mask wearing and social distancing. Everyone was so happy to enjoy this brief return to normality! All the best, Keith

  5. Thank you for this wonderful view of Coronado life – I’m jealous. So far over here none of my favourite street festivals have put on a show yet. Even the Medway pride which happened today was a behind closed doors event, which tends to ruin the inclusivity.

    I love the fact given the last eighteen months, people are smiling, happy and clearly having a good time.

    Thank you for sharing.

  6. Pretty comprehensive collection of images from the day I’d think. If you’re going to cover the next year parade too why not consider “embedding” yourself to a participating group and cover the activities before during and after? That way we’d get a real good look into the stuff that goes on behind the scenes and maybe get to know some of them up close as well. Just a thought.

    • Hi Farhiz – thank you! What a great suggestion. I now understand where the staging locations are for the various displays in the parade, and so will definitely try to capture more of a ‘behind the scenes’ picture of next year’s event. All the best, Keith

  7. Lovely photos of what seems to be a great day for all concerned. I would, however, question your first sentence about ‘the entire adult population of planet Earth’. I’m glad that you put ‘probably’ after that. I worked in the Middle East where the extent to which culture travels was opened before my eyes. People there may have heard of America and England (never Britain) but would not know where Ireland was. As regards popular culture they would know nothing of Elvis or the Beatles, but would readers here know about Mohammed Abdu who is their equivalent in the Arabic speaking world? I never heard Western pop music there, always the Arabic kind.

    Our equivalent of 4th July is the 17th of March, but I suspect that most people on the planet would not have heard of St Patrick. That is only correct, of course. His fame has only travelled to where Irish people have emigrated. I’m not particularly a fan of the recent expensive ‘Greening the Planet’ initiatives. When I explained St Patrick’s Day to my Minister in Qatar (they have women ministers in their Government) she did not know what I was talking about, but having lived in the US she said ” Do you mean the Green Day?” I said yes, but went on to explain St Patrick to her. She was much happier with that and to this day I send her an electronic St Patrick’s Day card every year which she loves getting even though she is not a Christian.

    Sorry about the ‘culture talk’ but I could not miss your first sentence. Cultures vary throughout the world and there is no universal mono-culture. The direction in which people look for their ‘cultural feeds’ and their knowledge of other cultures varies enormously. What brought this home was going to the cinema to see Clint Eastwood’s Iwo Jima film in Doha to find that the dialogue on screen was in Japanese and sub-titles were in Arabic!

    Congrats once again for the wonderful article.

    William

    • Hi William. Thank you so much for your encouragement, and for pointing out my tendency towards hyperbole in my opening sentence! You are of course correct that it is easy for us in the West to make assumptions about the penetration of our culture into far flung countries across the globe.

      When I moved to the US some years ago I was surprised by the extent to which St Patrick’s Day is marked here – much more so than in Wales where I come from, or in England where I lived for a large part of my adult life. Both Independence Day and St Patrick’s Day are apparently among the most widely recognised national/cultural celebrations in the world, along with Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter of course in the Western world. However, so are Chinese New Year, Eid, and Diwali to name just a few examples from the East. I agree that we would all benefit from greater exposure to, and appreciation of, the world’s diversity of cultural events. Thanks once again! All the best, Keith

      • Thanks Keith. When I was in Doha I always insisted on coming back to Dublin for Christmas Day. It was one of my conditions for taking the job. I was, however, always conscious of the fact that while I would be in Dublin with my family on Christmas Day, all of my staff would be at work in Doha. So, Christmas does not take place all over the World. There was always a debate as to whether Santa Claus visited Muslim countries. I recall a young Jordanian woman who worked for me saying that was one thing that she missed from her Muslim childhood. But they have Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha. The most remarkable one is Garangao which comes on the 14th day of Ramadan and is just like our Halloween with children knocking at doors looking for sweets and nuts.

        It is easy to adjust though and I soon got used to the weekend being on Friday and Saturday, with the religious services being on the first day of the weekend rather than the second day. The main explanation for St Patrick’s Day being so big in the US is because there are so many of us over there. St Patrick was probably Welsh, of course.

        William

        • Hi William,

          My grandparents came from Wales to the US, St Patrick was a Welshman! I also live in Coronado and my husband worked with Keith on photographing the parade. It’s a great day and has been for many years.

          • PS Keith did a phenomenal job with his photo essay and his other photographs of the day.

  8. Hello Keith. We lived in California for a year, and remember that they sure know how to do a parade.
    Pyrotechnic Reflections is a special image, varied light and tones as well as the reflection itself. It’s more than just a fireworks photo.
    And the message in Make Orwell Fiction Again really resonates, as well as being lovely informal portraiture.

    • Hi Wayne. Thank you so much for your kind feedback. Yes, I have to hand it to my US neighbours – they certainly know how to stage a grand event. Thank you also for your feedback on those photographs. It was a very enjoyable day and evening of photography and friendship – couldn’t ask for more. All the best! Keith

  9. Keith, what a feast of colour and involvement by local people. Thank you for sharing your coverage and story with us. Were you actually participating, or shooting from the fringe?

    • Hi David. Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. I was patrolling 2 blocks of the route, taking photographs of the spectators from the street during gaps in the parade, and taking photos of the parade while standing amongst the spectators! Cheers, Keith

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