Thursday was one of my favorite town-wide events in Southport and Fairfield, the Annual Pequot Library 4th of July Bike Parade. Each year, families line up at Southport town center, draped in red, white and blue, with bikes and scooters adorned with the same colors. At 10 a.m., the parade begins.

It’s a short, slow, and cautious ride from Southport town center to Pequot Library, just up the road. It’s not easy for the kids to watch out for all the mass of other riders without accident, but they manage with the help of their caregivers offering plenty of guidance.

Pequot Library 4th of July Bike Parade 2024

It seems as if each year the event gets bigger–this year I was very excited by the addition of a stilt walker!

And I mean very excited–I couldn’t stop taking pictures of her.

Every year, there are contests for activities like hula hooping and sack racing, but this year there was a man with a suitcase of activities for the kids to do without competition, like plate spinning.

There were several different crafts for the kids to do, and face painting.

Super Duper Weenie, a sponsor of the event every year, gives out free hot dogs. This year, they pulled up with a fancy new truck–it was impressive!

I just love the crowd it generates and the liveliness of everyone getting together.

The event ends early, so there’s plenty of time to have a barbeque or other Independence day activities. We spent the afternoon on Southport Beach with another family.

Pequot Library 4th of July Bike Parade 2023

This year, we got lucky–in 2023, the start of the parade was excruciatingly humid. With only enough time to initially greet many friends and neighbors, the rain poured down!

Pequot Library 4th of July Bike Parade 2022

It’s sweet to look back on past years. In 2022, our little guy made it a trike parade.

That was also when I took some of my favorite photos of the Great Lawn games.

Pequot Library 4th of July Bike Parade 2021

The first year I attended this event was in 2021. It was extra special because we had recently gotten vaccinated and it was the first time back in the world after covid, the biggest event we had attended in a year and a half. With so many neighbors in attendance, it felt like a welcome back to society!

We didn’t have the best weather in 2021, but my older son and I biked from our home to the start of the parade, with my youngest in the kid trailer behind.