CORPUS CHRISTI — It is the nation's 243rd birthday, Kingsville's 115th and NAS-Kingsville's 77th! The city of Kingsville and the Naval Air Station will celebrate all three with patriotic parades Thursday.
Bring your family and friends, civic organizations, pets, bikes, trikes, wagons and anything with wheels to join in the fun.
The festivities start at 10:30 a.m. at the Kleberg County Courthouse with a general parade, followed by a pet parade and bike parade.
The Kingsville Volunteer Fire Department will bring out the historic fire truck for the occasion, and NAS-Kingsville’s Commanding officer Erik Spitzer and his family will be riding in the truck along with City of Kingsville Commissioners.
A new fire truck from the city of Kingsville Fire Department will also participate, as well as the City of Kingsville Police Department, Miss Kingsville, area Cub Scouts and the Kleberg County Sheriff’s Office.
Anyone interested in participating can register ahead of the event by contacting the Kingsville Visitors Center, Kingsville Parks and Recreation Department or the Kingsville Chamber of Commerce. Registrations are FREE and will also be accepted the day of the parade at 9:30 a.m.
Pet Parade awards will be distributed by the Kingsville Chamber of Commerce and include the following prize categories:
- Most Patriotic
- Most Family Oriented
- Most Look Alike
- Most Original
- Judges Choice
Bike Parade awards will be distributed by Kingsville Parks and Recreation and include the following prize categories:
- Most Patriotic Girl
- Most Patriotic Boy
- Most Patriotic Adult
- Most Original Décor
- Best Family Participation
- Best Group Participation
- Best Wagon
General parade awards will be ranked 1st through 3rd and will earn the most creative entries a plaque.
After the awards ceremony, everyone is invited to enjoy complimentary hotdogs, lemonade, watermelon and water. There will also be piñatas for the kids!
Stop by the 1904 Train Depot Museum after the fun for a peek into Kingsville's history at the very spot where the city got its start when the first passenger train headed south, opening travel to all of South Texas.
The Train Depot is free and open to the public.
Several Kingsville Main Street businesses will also hold special hours for the 4th of July celebration, and many are competing in a window decorating contest.
