There’s a certain kind of magic that settles over Edmonds every Fourth of July. It’s not just the flags or the fireworks or the sound of kids racing down sidewalks. It’s the feeling – that unmistakable Edmonds energy – when the whole town shows up for each other.

The day starts early. Long before the parade rolls down Main Street, neighbors are out setting up chairs, greeting familiar faces, and catching up like no time has passed at all. It’s the kind of morning that reminds you why Edmonds feels less like a city and more like a shared front porch.

This year, yours truly was going to give it a try. I’d been sketching, planning, and, let’s be honest, overthinking the idea of building a float with my youngest daughter, the freshly minted Meadowdale graduate, and my always‑reliable, go-to engineering buddy.

The concept was simple and a little ridiculous in the best way: three cube‑style houses on a flatbed; one straw, one twigs, one brick. A playful nod to a story everyone knows, rolling proudly down Fifth Avenue. But the more I tinkered, the more I hesitated, and eventually the moment passed.

So instead of seeing it trundling down the parade route, you’ll just have to imagine how fun,  and how very Edmonds, it would have been.

Back to reality. By the time the children’s parade begins, the sidewalks are packed. Families cheer, dogs trot proudly in red bandanas, and the youngest Edmonds residents take center stage. It’s joyful, chaotic, and completely perfect. A celebration of the next generation growing up in a community that truly sees them.

Then comes the main parade, and this is where Edmonds shines. Local businesses, nonprofits, service clubs, musicians, dancers, and volunteers all move as one long ribbon of community pride. A crowd (and my wife’s) favorite, the Grupo Folklórico horses, swirl past in bright color and rhythm, a reminder of the cultural threads that make this town richer.

And as the floats roll by, it becomes a kind of “old‑home week,” spotting friends, neighbors, and familiar faces dotted all along the parade route. Every wave feels like a small reunion.

And that’s the real story of An Edmonds Kind of Fourth. It’s not just a holiday. It’s a reminder of who we are when we come together. A town that shows up. A town that celebrates each other. A town that believes community isn’t something you talk about – it’s something you do.

As the sun sets and fireworks reflect off the Sound from other towns ringing the shoreline (yes, I miss the era we had fireworks), the day ends the same way it began: neighbors standing shoulder to shoulder, grateful to be part of something bigger than themselves.

Edmonds in action. Edmonds at its very best.