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LAYTON — Maybe it's not the biggest or flashiest Independence Day parade in Utah.
But the annual Liberty Days Parade in Layton suits Jennifer Wanless, a Layton resident, just fine. "It's just fun, a great way to celebrate Independence Day ... plus, I'm a Layton girl," said Wanless, sitting alongside the parade route with about 10 other family members and friends.
Utahns gathered for Independence Day celebrations in communities around the state on Thursday, taking a break from the work week and, more significantly, honoring the country's founding. "Just thankful for our freedoms and our country and those who serve in our military," Wanless said.
Provo put on its Grand Parade on Thursday, dubbed by organizers as "the largest of its kind in the western United States," while other Utah locales, big and small, held their own celebrations. Representatives from the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office took part in the Granite Independence Day parade, praising the atmosphere.
"The energy was electric, and patriotism was off the charts! It was incredible celebrating freedom, unity and our amazing community together," the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post.
At the Layton parade, high school bands marched, fire trucks blared sirens, businesses promoted their goods and many of those walking the route tossed candy to the kids and adults gathered to experience the tradition. Mostly, it was about celebrating the community, gathering with friends and family and expressing gratitude for the freedoms Americans have.
"The community feel, the community involvement ... there's so many people here," said Nanette Mabey, who sat in a lawn chair with her husband Brent Mabey, touting the attributes that draw them to the Layton parade.
Michaelann Nelson, a Layton High School graduate, and Jeremy Ricketts are regulars, and secured a site along the parade route earlier in the week — which is common practice — to make sure they'd have a good watching point.
"It's my favorite holiday," Nelson said, citing the togetherness she sees at the parade. "It's just about everybody coming together from every background. You just see the whole cross-section of the community coming together. I really love that spirit of coming together."
Ricketts, a transplant to Utah from Tennessee, lauded the spirit he's seen during his years in the state — Utahns "love their parades" — while Nelson said there's something about the Layton parade, the sense of community among participants, that keeps her coming. "We tried Park City one year and we came back," she said.
Similarly, Ashley Muir, of Layton, sat under a canopy at the corner of Wasatch Drive and North Fort Lane with her dad Jon Muir, her aunt Jennie Warren and other family members. She said the Layton parade has everything she wants — she can see the new generations of junior high and high school students marching past in the varied groups they represent, making her nostalgic for her school days.
"It's our hometown," she said. "It's just kind of fun. There's history here ... we just love Layton city."
Ray Medina lives in Ogden now, but he made it to the Layton parade, as he has for several years because of the connection he still feels to the Davis County city. His kids graduated from Layton High School.
"This is where I have a lot of roots and where my family has lived the longest," he said. "It's local. The kids enjoy it. They all have roots here."
Through it all, though, there's a deeper message as America marks it's birthday. "Appreciate this great country and know about it," Medina said.
