Pandemic attendance restrictions lifted for Fourth of July celebration in Bexley
Bexley’s Fourth of July festivities will return to pre-pandemic capacity.
Activities will be held at various locations throughout the city and are to include the annual John Barr 5K, an evening celebration and fireworks on Capital University’s Main Street lawn and a parade that will proceed through neighborhoods in the morning.
Admission for the 2021 festivities was limited to promote social distancing.
“Celebrating the parade is a great way for the community to come together for friends to see each other,” said Elizabeth Ellman, the city's sustainability programs coordinator and one of the parade organizers. “Particularly over the past few years, we haven’t had as much opportunity as we would have wanted to join together.”
The parade will feature floats, a caravan of local elected officials and school representatives, an antique fire truck, vintage cars and performances by dance teams and Bexley City Schools marching bands, Ellman said.
Barb Greiner will be recognized as the Citizen of the Year during the evening festivities, and the parade grand marshal will be revealed on the day of the event.
Serving as grand marshal of the parade and taking on the honorary “Citizen of the Year” title will be Barb Greiner, longtime Bexley Recreation and Parks Department administrator who retired earlier this year.
The parade will start at 9:30 a.m. at the intersection of North Remington Road and Maryland Avenue. The parade will follow the 2021 route and include Astor Avenue.
The extended route that was followed last year took into account the need for social distancing, Mayor Ben Kessler said. While planning this year’s parade, he said the city circulated a survey through its weekly email newsletter to gauge residents’ feedback.
“We had 472 responses. It was kind of a binary survey: ‘How do you feel about this route versus the other,’” Kessler said during Bexley City Council’s June 14 meeting. “Seventy-five percent of (survey respondents) wanted the longer route. Not surprisingly, those who are in the parade and walk it were evenly split – 50 percent wanting the longer route or the shorter route.”
The John Barr 5K will begin at 8 a.m. at Jeffrey Mansion, 165 N. Parkview Ave. The evening celebration at Capital will begin at 6 p.m., featuring food vendors, live music and entertainment for all ages. The evening celebration will also include a program recognizing Bexley military veterans and frontline workers.
Fireworks are scheduled to launch at 10 p.m. from the field between College and Pleasant Ridge avenues.
“Fourth of July in Bexley is always full of fun and exciting activities – be it the parade or the evening events or the John Bar 5K in the morning,” Ellman said. “It’s really just a fun way to celebrate together with our neighbors and our friends and family.”
To register for the John Barr 5K and for more information about Fourth of July festivities, visit bexley.org/fourth.
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This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Pandemic attendance restrictions lifted for Fourth of July celebration in Bexley
