Neither excessive heat nor national drama keep celebrants away from Westchester’s annual Fourth of July parade

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Would it still be Fourth of July in Bakersfield without the Westchester neighborhood parade? Thank goodness we didn’t have to find out this year, despite the dramatic uptick in temperature over the past several days.

Neither oppressive heat nor national political drama could keep about 400 celebrants away from the patriotic neighborhood party held annually just west of downtown Bakersfield.

That’s perhaps a third of the usual crowd that has gathered along the tree-lined “tree” streets west of Chester Avenue since the late 1980s for this low-tech, community-friendly ritual. There were more available shady spots than usual to watch the 35th annual parade, but the typical number of hot dogs, squirt guns and laughs seems to hold steady.

Robert Contreras and his small family of three visited from Santa Cruz for the third year in a row.

“Our favorite part is always the band and then our family friends are always in the parade at some point,” he said. “They have a red truck. They’re always in it and they’re throwing water balloons and squirting kids.”

Yeah, about those water balloons. Pay attention.

“Some girl threw a water balloon at me,” said pre-teen Jackson Hunter-Fernandez. “I caught it.”

The Golden Empire Drum & Bugle Corps, affiliated with Bakersfield College, supplied the requisite music. Jimmie Taliaferro, one of the coaches, said he appreciates this neighborhood’s welcoming attitude.

“I love how they all come together on this day and celebrate the Fourth of July, celebrate America,” he said. “They welcome other people from outside of the Westchester community, so it’s become a really fun party for us every year.”

Most parade participants were gone by the time the temperature hit 100, and there was nary a mention of the unusual drama unfolding on multiple fronts this election season in Washington. D.C., and across the country.

This day was about hot dogs and horn sections. Our historic national debate will resume soon enough.

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