I had the opportunity to check out this small town's 4th of July Parade. This is a really quaint small community where families grow up around the same people thier whole lives, people rarely move from and everybody knows everybody.
The town, Dutch Flat, California is about 30 minutes east of Auburn, CA. There is no broadband, there is no 7/11, there is no traffic. I think they have about two stopsigns. It is not a tourist destination or a pass-through to somewhere more magnificent. It is magnificent in it's own right in that there is a genuine sense of community based on the common experience of living in the same small town of about 200-300 people. The homes date from the late 1800s to today, although many all have an early pioneer character to them.
In Dutch Flat, the sense of community is not similar to that which develops as in a larger city, where everyone rallies behind a professional sports team comprised of spoiled multi-millionaires and whose means of association is with others who share the same corporate workplace. The community is nestled among tall pine trees approximately 5 minutes off busy I-80.
I had the great experience of checking out their 4th of July parade in which the entire town was festooned in Red White and Blue. I don't think a single home or business was not draped with banners or small flags. This is one of the great things I noticed about living in small towns; there is no sense of multi-culturalism and people take pride in America. Those of you who live in a small town know exactly what I am talking about.
The parade opened with the marching of the colors by the Vietnam Veterans of America.
Followed by the Boy Scouts of America.
Local Bagpipe Player.
Then each family who lived in Dutch Flat followed with their own patriotic presentations. They marched the parade for two laps around the central area in which the town is arrayed, four square blocks.
The local United Methodist Church.
The Pirates
Adults wore silly painted paper hats made from grocery bags in public.
When the California Highway Patrol were attacked with water balloons by local kids, they counterattacked with their own water balloons - only in a small town. In a big city, there would have been arrests instead of counterattacks.
Other kids rode in the back of the country sheriff's Humvees tossing water balloons at other kids.
The local hotel reopened.
The new owners after the ribbon cutting. I don't know how long it had been closed, but it's awesome now, full of period antiques and due to be featured in Sunset Magazine in the near future. http://www.dutchflathotel.com/
Afterwards, there was a large barbecue and other events such as the Dunk Tank, at the town community center tennis court.
Go Bosox!