A ride down Main Street for a restored 1929 Ford truck came to a standstill after the restored vehicle stopped midparade.
The driver, John Bonomo, jumped out of his seat and pulled the hood up from the side to take a look under the hood. The crowd chatted on both sides of Main Street in front of the First Baptist Church making comments and mechanical suggestions as Bonomo proceeded with repairs.
“That’s the type of car we had in the old days,” said an unknown man in front of the church.
“Turn on your windshield wipers,” slurred another man across the street.
“Pop the clutch,” yelled another.
None of the suggestions were helpful and the driver got back into his driver’s side seat exasperated.
“Well, I guess I’ll come over to the side I guess,” Bonomo said throwing up his hands.
Men from the crowd jumped to assist him, pushing the vehicle several yards before a loud pop signaled the successful pop of the clutch. The crowd cheered and the parade moved on.
The city kicked off the start of their holiday festivities Wednesday with a patriotic program dedicated to the celebration of the nation with speakers that included Sen. John Cornyn, U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock and Brig. Gen. Christopher Tucker.
“Today we celebrate the anniversary of our independence,” Tucker, the keynote speaker and parade grand marshal said. “We remember that freedom and liberty have a significant price.”
An estimated 30,000 parade-goers came early despite the threatening skies to set up lawn chairs and blankets, while those in the parade drove long distances and waited over an hour in preparation for their march down Main Street.
Despite having 278 members, the high school band is known more accurately as the Belton Marching 100s. One of the 14-year-old boys in the band, Austin Womack said he was going to follow the seniors who have been in this parade before.
“I’m not really nervous,” Womack said.
Megan Lillibridge, a dancer on the high school dancing team, The “Magic Belles,” joined the band for the Belton parade, which was a bittersweet for the senior-year student.
“This is our last time and our first time to perform in Belton,” Lillibridge said. Her red ribbons waving in her hair as she joked around with friends before the parade began.
Some in the parade preferred to walk instead of march and some rode by horse or vehicle. Horse riders came from far and wide in order to participate in Belton’s parade.
“I left at 3:30 a.m. this morning,” Rose Moreland of Houston said. “It’s worth it.”
Moreland rode a pedigreed Tennessee walker paint horse that insisted on moving instead of waiting in line for the parade to start. She made the long journey to Belton to ride with fellow members of Sneed’s Riding Group from Killeen.
A younger rider of the group, Lexi Woods, 9, is already an expert barrel rider and has been riding for two years.
“You have to have control of your horse,” Woods advised flashing a smile of pink and blue braces on her upper teeth.
Awards for floats were given in three different categories, the SPJST won for “Most Beautiful Float,” Ronnie Stewart’s Antique Cars won for “Best Decorated Cars” and Boy Scout Troop 152 sponsored by the Knights of Columbus won “Best Representative of a Theme.”
“It was really neat,” Mark Orrazola, parade organizer said. “I was very impressed.”
Those who viewed instead of participating in the parade were pleased with the results.
Waneen Tulloch, a retired Belton woman, who lives off Main Street and West 8th Avenue made it out of her backdoor and camped out on her chair-walker in the back alley with a glimpse of parade festivities between the cars and rows of parade-goers. Her grandson, Ty Tulloch, played the tuba in the parade and she hoped to see him.
“I can see it well enough,” Tulloch said. “I couldn’t pick him out way back here, but I knew he was there.”
Other parade-goers have been enjoying the Belton parade for years and have passed the tradition onto future generations.
“I enjoy it,” Norma Matthews of Rogers said. “I’ve been coming since I was a kid.”
Matthews, who grew up in Belton, estimated she had come to view the Belton parade for 40 or 45 years. She now brings her 1-year-old great-niece, Kehlia, who smiled and waved her flags as floats pass by, to the festivities.
“This is her first year,” Matthews said.
Music was performed at the pavilion at Yettie Polk Park for the Festival on Nolan Creek and visitors could just sit back and listen. Booths crowded the road off of the park, which included face painting, jewelry, music and a dunking booth among many others.
Tiffany McAfee said she came to the festival with her 3-year-old daughter Alyson to play on the playground and look at vendors.
“I wanted to get her out of the house and have fun,” McAfee, who served in the military, said. “We missed the parade”
“It’s the Fourth of July,” McAfee said. “It’s what I fought for.”
