Wednesday, July 3, 2024
From humble beginnings to a beloved tradition, Granbury’s annual Fourth of July celebration has continuously brought the community together in a shared display of love and local pride.
While the first-ever Granbury Fourth of July was an “undaunted success,” according to a 1976 article from the Hood County News, it’s safe to say that co-founders Charlie and Jean Cate never anticipated just how grandiose the celebration would become 50 years later.
1974
According to the HCN article, between 7,500 and 10,000 people were on hand to join in Granbury’s inaugural Fourth of July celebration. The event began with a Pet Parade and ended with a giant fireworks display over the lake. In between came a parade, fish fry, dancing, music, a fashion show, bicycle contests, hot dogs, cake, children’s rides — and the hot air balloons. The first balloon went aloft during the parade to please the crowd while other balloons followed throughout the afternoon.
While Granbury’s first Fourth of July did not have a theme or a grand marshal, the senior citizens of Hood County were saluted at the event.
1984
The 10-year celebration in 1984, however, wasn’t as widely-attended as previous years. The HCN reports that since July 4 fell on a Wednesday, attendance was lower due to work conflicts. Buffalo burgers were still a hot item though, with about 1,200 burgers sold on the square. Additionally, Lake Granbury Area Chamber of Commerce President Bobbie Jordan said she heard comments about the parade being the “best parade they have ever had.”
The 1984 theme was “Oldies but Goodies,” and the Cates were named dual grand marshals; they became grand marshals again in 1992.
1994
For the 20th anniversary, Granbury saw a record number in attendance as more than 40,000 people attended the three-day event. Some observers thought the fireworks display over the lake topped all previous shows, and the parade also included a record-breaking 140 entries.
The 1994 theme was Lake Granbury Splash Blast, and former GISD basketball coach Leta Andrews was named the grand marshal for that year.
2004
Granbury’s Fourth of July 30th celebration for 2004 was also a success, as more than 50,000 people gathered to experience the festivities. Christy Brabec, Lake Granbury Area Chamber of Commerce office manager, said everything went a little smoother than years past. More people gathered at the Family Fun area at Shanley Park than in previous years, as the area included family-friendly activities including a rock-climbing wall, petting zoo, airbrush tattoos and an old-fashioned candy store.
Commemorative 2004 Fourth of July T-shirts were also available for sale at the Lake Granbury Area Chamber of Commerce. The shirt featured a logo created for the anniversary celebration by local artist Eden Duncan, who is a current staff writer/content manager for the Hood County News today.
The theme for 2004 was 30 Red, White and Beautiful Years and the grand marshal was local historian Mary Kate Durham.
2014
Granbury’s patriotic tradition was alive and kickin’ for the 40th anniversary. Thousands lined the street for the parade and good crowds were reported for activities all weekend. Granbury Chamber of Commerce President Mike Scott told the Hood County Commissioners Court before the celebration the event was expected to bring “close to 100,000 into the county” over the three-day weekend, having a tourism impact of $3 million to $5 million.
The theme was 40 Years of Patriotic Tradition and the grand marshal was, again, Jean Cate, along with Judge Ralph Walton.
MILESTONE YEARS
2020
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Scott canceled the popular 4th of July parade. The chamber later reinstated the parade and festival but agreed that the celebration would be promoted as a locals-only event. However, the city, county and chamber agreed to cancel the parade a second time. Plans for vendors and a July 4 fireworks show remained in place.
There was not a theme or a grand marshal for 2020.
2021
Perhaps one of the most memorable Fourth of July events was the year 2021, when attendees “soaked” up the fun during a heavy rain pour. According to HCN Publisher Sam Houston — who wrote about the event in his column that year — initially the rain was lightly falling, but not more than 10 minutes in, the sky opened up and “Mother Nature released her rainy fury.” He said the rain seemed to come down in buckets as military vehicles, wagons, trailers, horseback riders, and floats rolled down the street. He said the observers applauded and waved to their friends in the parade and laughed at how “Granburians did not have the good sense to come in out of the rain.”
"At one point, I looked at my wife and asked if she could remember the Fourth of July parade from six years ago,” Houston said in his column from July 10, 2021. “She looked at me and shook her head no and then curiously asked me, ‘Why?’ I told her, ‘No one remembers the parade from six years ago, because it was simply a terrific Granbury Fourth of July parade. Everyone will remember this parade because the Chamber kept it going during a downpour.’”
Even current Granbury Chamber of Commerce President Brian Bondy — who was in his first year as president in 2021 — said he had no idea that everyone was having a blast in the rain.
“It really spoke to the community's love for this event," he told the HCN. “This community loves independence, they love this country, and that parade is a reflection of both of those values. ... I'll never forget it, and if you ask people about the year that it rained, they'll be able to tell you exactly where they were.”
50 GOLDEN YEARS OF STARS AND STRIPES
For half a century, Granbury has been fostering patriotic spirit in residents and visitors alike in a crescendo of red, white and blue — and this year is no different.
This year’s theme is 50 Years of Stars and Stripes and the grand marshal will be Kevin Watson, owner of Empire Realty. To make the honor even more special, Watson was born in 1974 when the parade first began.
“There's so many stories like that of people who were part of it, and they're still here,” Bondy said. “When you look at the names of people who were grand marshals, you would think it would be all these famous people, but a lot of them were just regular folks.”
Some “famous” former grand marshals include radio personality Dick Siegel, Olympic gold swimmer Dana Vollmer, and Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca in Star Wars.
"It's pretty fascinating from a historical perspective to just take a look at it all,” Bondy said. “Not only the years that we've done it, but thousands of people that have been a part of it. Kids grew up in the parade who are now business owners here or are now retiring here, and it’s pretty amazing."
Bondy said he still gets goosebumps every year once he sees how many attendees the parade and fireworks bring out.
"Unusually so, it's carried on for 50 years,” he said. “There's a lot of communities that started out with good intentions and younger generations come up, but they don't necessarily want to do the work, and so it falls by the wayside. This one hasn't fallen by the wayside and that speaks volumes about the people in this community over the last 15 years who have kept the tradition alive. Now, we have to carry that torch forward, and make sure it stays going forward for the next 50 years.”
For the past several years, the parade has only allowed around 80 float entries to minimize the length of the parade. However, with this year being a special celebration, Bondy said the chamber decided to “take the lid off.”
“We said, ‘Because it's our 50th, let's go and see how many floats we can get.’ We stopped (allowing entries) on the 31st of May, and then we had quite a few that got on the waiting list so we made the decision to let them in,” Bondy said. “We're going to have over 100 entries — and that's before we include our elected official VIPs. ... It's going to be exciting to see a lot of floats this year, and (many) organizations are coming in from other parts of the state that will be entries in the parade. We're just really excited.”
The four-day celebration this year will feature many live musical performances and the parade will also feature a military vehicle from a company called War Fox.
"They're going to be driving a street legal armored personnel carrier in the parade along with a couple of other military trucks,” Bondy said. “They're going to be on display at the Langdon Center all weekend. Kids can climb on it, sit in it, touch it, feel it, all that kind of stuff, so it’s very family friendly.”
To continue with the one-of-a-kind festivities, the Granbury Chamber of Commerce has also opened up a merchandise store online that will feature 50th anniversary hats, tumblers, tote bags, tennis shoes, patches and bandanas.
"We're also having commemorative coins made, and we're going to give each of the parade entries a coin,” Bondy said. “We're also going to sell those. There's only going to be 250 coins made, and by the time it's all said and done, there'll be fewer than 125 available for sale.”
Overall, Bondy added he is excited for the 50th anniversary celebration — especially because it’ll bring out the stories of residents who attended the parade many years prior.
"When you start hearing about, ‘Remember back in ‘78?’ — that's when it starts to become more than just an event, and that's what we believe it is,” he said. “It's more than just an event; it's a celebration of 50 years. And this community has been supporting it (all along).”
