[ad_1]
BUDA – The distinct tinkling of bells and horns attached to bicycles permeated the steamy Sunday morning air in Buda, a loud signal for what was to come.
Buda’s annual Independence Day celebration – known as Red, White and Buda – made a full comeback this year after the fireworks event in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The downtown bicycle parade on Sunday was filled with smiling children, decorated bicycles, and lots of red, white, and blue clothing that opened a day of celebration in the city of Hays County.
While a vendor and grocery market, live music and fireworks in the Buda City Park and Amphitheater – which opened to the public in December – dominated the nightly celebrations, the morning belonged to the children.
Hundreds of people either attended the morning bike parade or lined Main Street to cheer for the participants, mostly children and families.
SUMMER SECURITY:Watch out for Rover’s nose as dogs can get sunburned
“We are blessed to be outside and see our people,” said Jules Fernandez from Buda. “It is peaceful in our hearts just to know that we are going to take to the streets again to celebrate with everyone in our city.”
The celebration was a landmark for Fernandez and her family.
Her youngest child is a 20-month-old girl, and Sunday was her first Independence Day celebration without significant COVID-19 restrictions.
Fernandez said the family had a small gathering at home last year that they believed did not convey the importance of July 4th as a celebration of American freedom.
She also said the experience of raising a young child during the COVID-19 pandemic weighed on her, with the Sunday event serving as a reminder of the country’s reopening and a return to normalcy.
More:Austin area just 4,000 people away from minimal COVID-19 herd immunity, leaders say
“We were scared of taking the baby just to go to a doctor’s appointment. You’re always afraid that something might happen, especially to a baby, ”said Fernandez. “But it’s just better now. I think it’s something the kids can see too. Now she sees people stop wearing face masks, which is another good thing. It’s good times and it’s just perfect for us to be able to celebrate such an important day here in our city and to enjoy the parade again. “
Alan LaFrance and his wife and son, who live in South Austin, headed to Buda for their July 4th celebration, a welcome break from last year’s family gathering in their front yard.
“It is fun; It’s one of those things you do as a family, ”LaFrance said. “It’s good to be outside and remember something, especially compared to last year.”
The return of the bike parade, along with easier parking and less traffic than Austin, made the short trip to Buda the right choice for the LaFrances, who brought along a bike with white balloons and American flags attached.
LaFrance said the return of formal gatherings like the one in Buda on Sunday is an important step for children.
“I think it’s important to show kids what it looks and feels like to be normal at larger events, people going out and interacting, and so on,” said LaFrance.
MORE:Your ultimate grill guide
“Hopefully we’re in a better place”
Independence Day celebrations resume across the state and across the country after more than a year of high-profile protests against the use of police violence and for social justice reform.
That juxtaposition was something Abby Wills thought and talked about.
Wills grew up in South Austin before her family moved to Buda about five years ago. She will be a junior at the University of Arkansas and works as a summer job at Zoi Market on Buda High Street.
During the Sunday morning bicycle parade, Wills was stationed just outside the front doors of the market helping distribute free water and also selling American flag wind turbines, other patriotic items and chilled drinks.
Wills said she and her family attend a July 4th parade in Horseshoe Bay, a town in Burnet and Llano counties near LBJ Lake, for most of the years, and this is the first year they are takes part in the Buda Parade.
FOR SUBSCRIBERS:“I Wanted to Fly”: Austin veteran and the last living World War II naval aviator ace reflects life near a century
After Wills spent most of her life celebrating Independence Day with her family, Wills reevaluated the holiday last year, saying that there are “clearly some problems” in the US
“I also think that despite the problems we can still be proud of who we are and who we will become as a country,” said Wills. “We are able to see these issues and hopefully the majority of people will take this time to evaluate and change things in their own lives and then hopefully we will eventually be in a better place than land. “
Wills said she was thinking about changes she can make in her own life to better support and involve other people.
While this year’s Independence Day gave Will’s opportunity to reflect, she also said it was an emotional experience to see people gather again for one of the hallmarks of Buda’s celebration.
“Everyone’s out here and we get together with people and you see people’s faces and that’s a total flip-flop like it was last year,” Wills said. “You can see that people are happy to be back and to be with people.”
[ad_2]
