Oceanside Parade Looks to the Past, Present and Future

Independence Day is no ordinary holiday in Oceanside this year. It’s the 125th anniversary of the city, and people lined the streets of Coast Highway Saturday to celebrate.

The parade featured an assortment of cars, trucks, tanks, veterans, politicians, boy scouts, marching bands, Shriners, clowns, dogs, rabbits and rock bands.

The theme of the parade was a celebration of Oceanside’s history, and many organizations with a deep-rooted connection to the community made their way along the parade route, including the Marine Corps marching band, American Heritage Girls, Knights of Columbus, The El Camino and Oceanside High School Marching Bands, Oceanside Theater Youth Academy and of course, an array of veterans organizations.

One group that received especially loud cheers from the crowd was the North County LGBTQ Resource Center, which celebrated the recent Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage in California.

Related Video: Woman Proposes to Girlfriend at North County LGBTQ Celebration After SCOTUS Rulings

Spectators and city leaders were filled with festive spirit and hometown pride as Oceanside’s anniversary draws near.

Kristi Hawthorne, who works for the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce as well as the Oceanside Historical Society, has been a city resident for 30 years. She spent this year’s parade broadcasting and providing commentary for the parade on KOCT, Oceanside’s community TV station. She said she appreciates Oceanside’s diverse population and deep military history. She said the parade reflects the city’s unique position as a large city with small-town pride.

“We’re a big town,” Hawthorne said, “but we’re a small town. We have everything you need, but we’re not too big for our britches.”

Oceanside will celebrate its anniversary further on Wednesday, July 3 at 11 am at the Oceanside Civic Center, 300 N. Coast Highway in Oceanside. The city will also have fireworks Wednesday.

Related: Fireworks Show will Mark Oceanside's 125th Anniversary