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The crowd on Carroll Avenue erupted as the clock struck 10:15 a.m. and the first participants in the 121st Takoma Park Independence Day parade rounded the corner and made their way through Old Town Takoma Park on Sunday.

Politicians riding in decorated cars tossed candy to children while firefighters, cheerleaders, stilt-walkers and mobile bands playing from the backs of trucks paraded along. Lawn chairs lined Carroll and Maple avenues and curb seating was scarce – even less available in shaded parts of the street.

"I like the Takoma Park parade because it's quirky in an all-American way," said Olney resident Barbara Suddarth from her seat on the sidewalk near Takoma Junction on Carroll Avenue. "There's kids with streamers on their bikes and fire trucks, but there's always all kinds of political causes going on, too."

Suddarth and her husband, David Reile, have attended the parade for the past 25 years to enjoy a blend of cultures, and countercultures.

"It's also very, very diverse," Reile remarked as a float for the 9/11 Truth Now group drove by, closely followed by a crowd of purple-shirted children and parents holding 'Takoma Park Cooperative Nursery School, Inc.' banners.

Greenbelt dog-walkers and Caribbean-style steel drum groups mixed with Veterans of Foreign Wars members and farmers market vendors as the parade rolled past the reviewing stand in front of Piney Branch Elementary School, where Takoma Park Mayor Bruce Williams enjoyed the festivities.

"I look on it as Takoma Park celebrating the nation's birthday, but we're also celebrating with our local neighbors," he said. "It's the biggest event of the year for us and everyone comes out."

The parade went smoothly despite a few hiccups, according to Takoma Park resident and organizer Howard Kohn.

"We've had some mechanical breakdowns but we've also had great weather and a great crowd," he said. "We had a truck and a bike machine break down, but we fixed both of them so everybody is going to finish."

The city's fireworks display begins at 9:30 p.m. Sunday at the nearby Takoma Park Middle School at 7611 Piney Branch Road.