(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Evanston leaders said there will be plenty of safety precautions as the city welcomes the return of its Fourth of July parade, after three years of canceled events due to COVID and the 2022 shooting in Highland Park.
There will be K9s searching for suspicious items, barricades and more police along the city’s parade route. Evanston police added that they’ll have a drone team at Independence Day festivities.
According to the Evanston Fourth of July Association (EFJA) — which has organized one century of July 4 events — those festivities will include games, a parade, a fun run, a concert and fireworks.
In a letter to residents, Mayor Daniel Biss said it’s “essential for us to find ways to be together.”
“I’m convinced that the epidemic of isolation and loneliness in our society is one of the contributing factors to the scourge of gun violence,” he wrote. “ In other words, celebrating together on July 4 isn’t just a fun way to spend a holiday, it’s a necessary part of rebuilding the social fabric that we’ve lost and that we urgently need.”
EFJA President Tracy Alden said they hope the Fourth of July celebrations will help “rebuild our community networks, boost diversity and strengthen our neighborhoods.”
Organizers said the EFJA is still looking for volunteers to work as parade marshals or serve other roles in the festivities.
Evanston’s Fourth of July events will begin at 9 a.m. at various parks throughout the city. The city’s parade will step off at 2 p.m. More information can be found here.
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