Area Dallas neighborhoods do a great job with community 4th of July events. Our favorite historically has been the Lake Highlands parade with friends on that side of town. However, we just moved to a new development and are eager to start new traditions. Maybe you are in a similar situation or you don’t have any formal 4th of July traditions in your neighborhood. No problem! Plan a 4th of July Roll & Stroll, and (boom!) you now have your very own patriotic parade that takes very little time and costs next to nothing to execute.
What is a 4th of July Roll & Stroll?
Simply put, it is a big group walk around the neighborhood wearing red, white, and blue. Simple!
How do you organize this?
This year, I posted a facebook group event with the date (we do ours on the actual 4th of July date) and time (morning!). I also plan to hand out flyers as much as I can to get the word out to those who may not be in the group. Here is the description I used in my event:
Join us for the 1st Annual University Place 4th of July Roll and Stroll on Thursday, July 4th at 10am.
Dress up in your patriot clothes, bring flags or other red, white, and blue decorations and meet us at the North Entrance of the development. We will gather there as a group and walk or ride bikes on a course through the neighborhood. It will just be like a mini parade or a big neighborhood walk.
Decorate bikes, wagons, scooters, anything so that we can all be in theme! We will end with popsicles and drinks.
I also asked for volunteers who may want to set up little stations along the way with water or to cheer us along. Neighbors may not be up for a long walk, so they can be spectators along the way and still be part of the fun. Drawing out the course ahead of time is helpful so people know exactly where the group will pass.
What should I wear to roll & stroll?
Anything red, white, and blue! Be as patriotic as possible. Dress comfortably for the walk and cool enough for the temps. Have fun by adding a “most patriotic” contest to the mix to see how competitive your neighbors can actually get!
Should I roll or stroll?
Great question! Our family will do a mix of both. Our 4-year-old will ride his bike which we will cover in red, white, and blue streamers and flags. Daddy will probably ride his bike as well or pull our wagon. Wagons are very fun to decorate! You can put bunting all around them or decorate them like a parade float. We had a previous neighborhood that hosted this event and neighbors would drive golf carts and there was even a 2 person bike. The more decorations and the more modes of transportation, the more fun! It is exciting to see the decorations everyone uses!
What is the point?
Honestly, I thought this would be a great (and easy) idea to get outside with my kids and meet our neighbors. The world can feel big, but having a community of people around you who can simply be kind and wave to one another when you’re coming or going can make it feel much smaller. What a great way to celebrate our nation’s birthday, get outdoors with your kids, and be neighborly with the humans nearest you!
