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City Celebrates with ‘Red, White & Blue’ Parade

A tractor pulls a float at the 2014 "Red, White & Blue" Parade.
A tractor pulls a float at the 2014 “Red, White & Blue” Parade.

On Saturday, the 15th annual Citrus Heights “Red, White & Blue” Parade hit the streets of Citrus Heights with celebration and community spirit.

Beginning at 9 a.m., the parade traveled along Sunrise Boulevard, beginning north of Madison Avenue at Uplands Way and continued to the northwest corner of the Sunrise Mall parking lot at Greenback Lane.

Numerous businesses, and community groups took part in the event, with the Rotary Club of Citrus Heights offering a $5 pancake breakfast for attendees in the Sunrise Mall parking lot.

The parade dates back to Citrus Heights’ founding and was originally created as a “happy birthday” to the City, according to Citrus Heights Event and Community Center Technician Michele Saario. Several years later, in 2002, the event became known as the “Red, White & Blue” Parade, due in part to the September 11 terrorist attack.

Typically bringing about 75-100 entries, the annual parade seeks to bring together civic clubs, commercial entities, non-profits, bands, dance teams, churches, horse clubs, schools, drill teams, sports teams, and car clubs. Saario also said kids are encouraged to be involved in the event through an annual parade poster contest.

The event is traditionally held on the fourth Saturday in June each year.

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