i’d heard about the legendary RouND ToP 4th of JuLY parade for years, the oldest 4th of JuLY parade this side of the MiSSiSSiPPi. i’d read about it & seen pictures. i’d been told about the tractors, the longhorns, the floats…
{a great day for pictures...blue sky, AmeriCAN FLaG, spectators dressed up in their patriotic-finery}
but nothing could have prepared me for the feeling of actually being there…standing amongst all the thousands of PaTRioTiCALLY PRouD people in the middle of the SqUARE in RouND ToP, TeXAS on the 4th of JuLY. feeling like i was an extra in a scene straight outta HoPE FLoaTS or like i’d gotten lost somewhere between MayBERRY & HaZZARd CounTY.
pride. excitement. happiness. freedom.
get ready y’all, this is how we do it in texas…
GoVERNOR RiCK pERRY, the STar-Spangled BaNNER, a prayer, and a BLaST of the OFFiCiAL war cannon kick off the parade…
{GoVERNOR RiCK pERRY giving the kick-off speech...(this was right after he told me he liked my boots :))}
and speakin’ of boots…here’s me, T-SmiTTY, and CB pre-parade…
amie & InDIE GuS (aka…my doodleBuG)
LeT the parade begin!!! from FaiR QUeeNS…
TiJUANA TaXIS,
and BoRN on the 4th of JuLY FLoATS…
to roDEO quEENS,
ReDNECK KinGS…or something…actually, i’m really not sure what to say about this next one, except maybe apologize to you, the reader…
and HaPPY dAYS at the RaNCH…
to the GrAND priZE winner, RoYERS CaFE FLoat…complete with a ‘larger-than-life’ image of BuD RoyER on the front of the truck and GiANT-size pies!
and just a few more of my teXAS-style favES…
FARMaLL tractors…
sweet little angels on HOrSEBACK,
PoLitiCIANS on stilts,
and of course ridin’ LonGHOrNS bareback-style…
{a whole herd of longhorns...only in TeXAS, y'all}
spectators drinkin’ mint juleps southern-style,
{actually, i think they're drinking bottled water but in my mind they're drinking mint juleps and saying "it's a mighty fine aftanoon for ah pahrade...why don't y'all come on (pronounced 'own') up an' sit uh spell?"}
and does it get any better than this….
i think not.
GoD BLeSS y’all. and GoD BleSS AmERiCA.
31 Comments
This did my spirit good. Thanks Gypsies!!!!!
I love a parade!
Many thanks for sharing this one!
Wish I had been there with a glass of lemonade!
Smiles, Cyndi
Photo # 10 leaves me speechless! Of course there has to be politicians on stilts…nobody piles it on higher than they do!
Great fun photos.
Debbie
we be so glad that we are now true back-door & down the creek neighbors of yawl!!!
bless, bud the pieman!!!
p.s. next year’s float is already in the works! can’t wait to see the junk gypsies float!
This is one parade I’ve always wanted to come and see, maybe next year. Cute pic of Carson and your sweet family too!
Heyyyy Miss Jolie. . . .Great post ! !
You can bet-chur-bippee that we WILL be in Round Top for the 2011 4th of July events, so just git reddy, Sikes gypsies!
Love y’all ! Debbie Sue and Gary, too
Looks like a good , fun and big ole Texas time was had by all!!! Great pics, thanks for sharing!!! Happy Junkin….Cathy aka Girls Gone Junkin
Love the pics- Love that it is such a special Day to honor our Country- in a Great LIttle Town!!! Wondering if there will be a Junk Gypsy float next year??? :=0
didn’t realize what i had missesd!! not that i am a competitive gal or anything, but TEXAS TRASH i s already planning on giving the “pie people” a run for their money. all in good southern country fun ofcourse. hey gypsies, come on join in ……….you guys would kick it up a knotch. i dare you!!!
sorrry i canlt spll ……..it’s NOTCH thak ya!!!!!!!!!
alright TExAS TRASh . . . you got yerself a little “float off” . . . you have thrown the proverbial gauntlet (one that was of course bought at some thrift store for 25 cents) BUT NONEtheLESS . . the JuNKY GAUnTLET has been thrown. LET’s GO!!!!
Great post! I’m kicking myself in the butt! We have a home ‘just around the corner’ about 9 miles away, off 159. Decided at the last minute not to go. Won’t make that mistake again!
You guys are hysterical. Will have to put this on my list of 4th of July activities.
What a great parade! Once again I think I might wish I lived in Texas, but you gals have been to California, you know I can’t leave! I love the “Hope Floats” small town feel. Thanks for the pics!
Even though I’m Canadian, thanks for the warm fuzzies this created this morning (Canada Day)! 🙂
Loved reading this post! I have grown up around Round Top (actually Warrenton) and it’s family tradition to go to the parade every year. Haven’t missed it in my 27 years!
I love the little angel on horseback 🙂 I’m thinkin I need a roadtrip in the near future…from Iowa to Texas, here i comeeeee!!!
Love it! I was almost accidentally in that parade one time. My family’s road trip took us through Round Top and we got caught up in the tail end of it 🙂
Another thing added to my bucket list. Oh. My. Good. Gosh. I am losing my marbles for this parade! God bless Texas!! Thanks for posting this! I had never even heard of it!
E-GADS on photo #10, lol!!! Other than that it looks like y’all had a great time!! (Love your boots too!!) Can’t wait to come see ya in the fall!! It will be my first time as a vendor :)) Sooo looking forward to it!!
Love from HOUSTON!!!
~~Michella~~
http://www.michella.com
This is the 4th of July I always pictured in my head. Now ill have come to Texas 3 times a year! Love the pics ladies! Hugs,tricia
I’ve been to this parade (and loved it) for most of the last 33 years. I have tons of pictures, but I love the way you blogged it–really caught the spirit of the whole thing! And of course I love the picture of Carson on horseback–she already has her homecoming queen wave down. Hope to see you there in a few days!!!
Was just at the parade today. And saw the lil aqua vw bug with train case & coca cola cooler on top. 🙂 Hope to make it a family tradition with my new hubby.
SaLUTE!
I love the pictures and I love the junk gypsies… God Bless America.
So we have never been to Round Top before and this year I rented a house to celebrate July 4th in Round Top. I wanted an Old Fashioned small town July 4th. Other than the parade are there any other must-dos in Round Top for that weekend? I there a fireworks show?
I’m going next year!!!! What a beautiful sight! God Bless America and Our Men and Women in Uniform!!!
wow!!! looks like alot of fun .I dont know that Nashville has a 4th of july parade .we should .but we have pretty good fireworks. so it aint half bad .love America while you still can and celebrate her everyday. HAPPY 4TH YA’LL
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing these. And I read it on(own). It just seemed that’s how it needed to be said. 😉
That takes me back many years. I used to ride trail ride to Round Top for the parade. Rode the parade a couple of years horseback. Great times. …….from Brenham