Wisdom From: A Huntington Beach Homeowner Hosting A Fourth of July Party

WHEN IT STARTED …

I built this house in 1995—we actually bought it in part because it was on the parade route. We’ve had a party and decorated ever since.

FAVORITE MEMORIES …

I ended up marrying an Italian, a real Italian. Her first Fourth of July, she fell in love with it. I have friends from Mexico who came for the first time. People from other areas and other countries that come is my highlight because they see all these people in the runs, in the parades, on the bikes, and they’ve decorated their clothing. I love watching people have such a great time.

THE PARTY …

We put up about 300 flags; I’ve lost count now. The party itself starts when the run starts. People come by for water when they’re running, and they come by for coffee afterward. We go through all the races, and then it starts to build like a snowball. I’ll either have a taco truck, or sandwiches, or chili, and we’ll have a bar. We have a lot of people show up and a lot of people I only see once a year. When it’s over, we watch the fi reworks from the deck.