Days Ice Cream. 7/1/18. Nighttime lines return. Great people watching. Paul Goldfinger photo. © Click to enlarge
The Independence Day Parade will be on Wednesday, July 4, with “kickoff” at 10:30 am. The CMA says that it will have “over 2,000 participants and thousands of onlookers.”
The parade begins on Whitefield Avenue and turns east along Main Avenue to Central Avenue, then turns north towards Ocean Pathway, then east again, ending along Ocean Avenue.
This year’s Grand Marshall is Ocean Grove historian and author Ted Bell.
At 7:30 pm there will be a Gordon Turk organ recital “Pipes and Stripes” in the Great Auditorium.
Editor’s note: As a music lover, I must point out that there is not a single real marching band in the parade according to the official line of march. There will be some fifes, a bagpiper, drums, kazoos and the OG Summer Band.
The dearth of significant march music was noticed last year, and the list of participants indicates that it will be the same this year. In addition there is no official military presence. A true 4th of July parade without ample music cannot be called “One of the best parades in the Garden State.” as stated by the CMA’s official press release.
Nor can the CMA claim it to be, “The best Fourth of July Parade in America” as stated by the CMA.
If the CMA cannot afford to provide marching bands for this parade, then Neptune Township should help with the financing. A parade filled with marching politicians, clubs, police, firemen, businesses, and even the National Corn Growers Association can be disappointing and monotonous without marching band music.
If we can’t have a Sousa march by a marching band in our 4th of July parade, then maybe Sousa’s portrait should be removed from the Historical Society of OG in protest.
From Blogfinger here is some real march music:
John Phillip Sousa: “The Thunderer”
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Evidently you know what we were talking about when referring to a “real marching band.”
That discussion has nothing to do with any of the other sources of music in the parade, including the Summer Band, The Kazoo band, bagpipers, the recorded music from loudspeakers or the rock and rollers on a truck.
As enjoyable as they might have been, none of it can compare to a formal marching band in uniform, coming up the street with rows of brass, drums, and woodwinds playing Sousa.
If anyone doesn’t know what we mean by this, please click on the link below:
It is worth pointing out that the members of the Summer Band who were able to be at the parade volunteered to do so of their own free will. A vast majority of the band members who were in the parade (similar to the entire membership of the band) do not live in Ocean Grove or in an adjacent town. All of them, however, have prior “real marching band” experience from high school and/or college.
Your point is understood – there were no established marching bands in the parade. What is better – a group of musicians participating of their own free will and making music together while enjoying the day, or a group of musicians who were forced to be there and are miserable?
@Jim – If you wish to clarify, you can call Lt. Zarro of the NTPD (732-988-8000) and ask him what time he was told the parade would start. Lt. Zarro advised in writing, in the NTPD instructions handed out to traffic controllers– OEM, OGCP, CERT, etc.) that “the parade will start at 10am this year, not 10:30.” The decision to change the time was not handled well and unfortunately put people out in the oppressive heat more than an hour early.
Watched the parade on Main, then later, heard the concert in the Great Auditorium which was wonderful and very moving with everyone joining in and singing at the end. Then over to Days for ice cream. All in all, a wonderful 4th of July.
I have since found out the truth that one of the Twp. Committee Persons changed it back to 10:30 without letting volunteer groups who helped know. Therefore OEM, OGCP, & others etc., were standing out there from 9:45am in the heat while the parade didn’t start till 10:30. Thanks for the confusion Twp. Comm.
@ Long Time Lady – I am looking at the parade organizers email which was sent to our group. It says kick off is at 10:30 am, as it has always been.
Just sayi’n—– I was told by Lt. Zarro, NTPD, the parade would start at 10am this year, not 10:30am.