Parades, food, fun and fireworks will mark the annual celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and, as always, Peachtree City plans to celebrate in a big way.

This year’s parade will be held on Friday, July 4, beginning at 9 a.m. The parade will begin at Village on the Green subdivision and continue north on Peachtree Parkway. It will turn left onto McIntosh Trail and disburse into the recreation department and Huddleston Elementary School parking lots.

“This is going to be a great parade with unique entries and a lot of floats,” said Ashley Alonso, leisure program coordinator for the Peachtree City Parks and Recreation Department and coordinator of the parade.

Alonso stated that this year’s parade will have 187 entries, 72 of which will be floats and the remaining will be golf carts, cars and trucks.

As in years past, spectators can expect to collect a variety of items from passing floats and golf carts including beach balls, T-shirts, beads and candy.

Once again the VFW Post 9949, along with American Legion Post 105, are expected to march in the parade handing out American flags along the route.

This year’s parade Grand Marshal will be Dan T. Cathy, President and Chief Operating Officer of Chick-fil-A, Inc.

Chick-fil-A was founded by Cathy’s father, S. Truett Cathy, but Dan Cathy has been the President and COO of Chick-fil-A since 2001. Cathy strives to provide customers with the most exceptional service. Perhaps this is why he lives by his own quote, “I work in customer service.”

We may love the restaurant for their chicken nuggets and waffle fries, but in 2007 Restaurant & Institutions magazine chose them as the winner of “Choice in Chains” for the 13th time in 14 years. In 2004 the chain was chosen “Best Drive-Thru in America” by QSR Magazine and later named as the highest rated quick-service chain in the south by J.D. Power and Associates.

A native of Jonesboro, Ga., Dan Cathy has chosen to expand his duties as president. You will probably not find him at the corporate Chick-fil-A office most of the time, as he chooses to travel and spend the majority of his time on the local level, visiting Chick-fil-A franchised operators at their Chick-fil-A restaurants. He frequently attends grand opening ceremonies, spending the night in parking lots and visiting with the customers.

“I’m having the most fun I have ever had at Chick-fil-A,” Cathy said.

Cathy leads a busy life. He is a devoted husband, a father of two, a business man, an instrument-rated commercial pilot, a marathon runner, a trumpet player and a motorcyclist. His main goal in life is to see the business his family built succeed.

Other activities scheduled for the day include the annual Fire Department Expo, a concert, food vendors and, of course, the annual fireworks display.

The Fire Department Expo, which will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. at Drake Field, will feature a demo of an automobile extrication using the “jaws of life,” a display of the various fire department equipment, the Fire Safety bus and the PCFD Water Rescue Team performing on Lake Peachtree.

Food vendors will be out and about at the City Hall Plaza beginning at 5 p.m. Meet your neighbors and get a good seat for the evening’s entertainment. Enjoy a variety of food from local vendors, including kettle corn, cotton candy, barbeque, hot dogs, hamburgers and more. This year, there will also be a food vendor at Battery Way boat docks if you can’t make it to City Hall.

Once again this year a free concert will be held at the City Hall Plaza at 7 p.m. The show will feature a performance by the Cedar Hill Band, which will last until the start of the fireworks.

Closing out the day’s festivities is the always-anticipated fireworks display. Beginning at dark, the show is expected to last an estimated 26 minutes.

Those planning to view the fireworks from Lake Peachtree are discouraged from setting up blankets and chairs early on the day of the event.

While officials won’t be removing blankets or chairs from the viewing area, any sharp objects, those which could become a safety issue, will be removed by officers patroling the area. Stakes and rebar will be removed from any viewing site.

The Fire Department is reminding residents this year that no consumer fireworks are allowed to be used, sold or possessed on any city-owned or controlled property.

Due to an expanded safety zone this year, Picnic Park and the All Children’s Playground will close at 8 p.m. as a precaution for the fireworks display.

For more information, contact the Peachtree City Recreation Department at 770-631-2542 or visit the website at www.ptcrecreation.org.

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