Dundalk holds 90th Independence Day Parade

The Fourth of July is a special day in Dundalk.

The community celebrated its 90th Independence Day Parade on Thursday, with Dundalk pride and American patriotism on full display.

Many floats this year paid tribute to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which was named for the author of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The bridge was honored along with the six construction workers who lost their lives when it collapsed, and the first responders who rushed to the scene in the middle of the night.

Countless families pack the streets for the annual Independence Day Parade, filling neighborhoods with color and cheer.

Put on by the Independence Day Parade Committee and the Optimist Club of Dundalk, the 2.4-mile parade is the longest and oldest in the Baltimore area.

More than 125 organizations marched in the parade this year across five divisions: Green, Gold, Red, White and Blue.

For everyone — visitors, first-timers, old-timers, kids, vendors, volunteers and just about every marching band in town — this year’s parade was a roaring return for the community’s favorite holiday.