2013 Aptos Parade Gains National Notice

Condé Nast Traveler Names Aptos’ World’s Shortest Parade Among the Country’s Seven Best Fourth of July Parades 

Aptos’ World’s Shortest Parade has gained national notoriety as one of only seven Fourth of July parades recommended as the best by prestigious the Condé Nast Traveler. The list appears on the magazine’s link www.cntraveler.com/daily-traveler/2013/07/photos-4th-of-july-parades-america_slideshow_item3_4

The Aptos parade shares its new fame with nationally renowned parades in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, the country’s oldest Independence Day parade in Bristol, Rhode Island, and a 99-year old tradition in Cooperstown, New York. The two other west coast celebrations making the list were Alameda, California and Bend, Oregon.

The Aptos Chamber of Commerce has organized the event for over 20 years as part of a full day celebration that includes a pancake breakfast and party in the park. The parade celebrated its 52nd anniversary this Independence Day.

The parade draws over a thousand participants in all kinds of costumes and many more thousands of spectators to the 0.6-mile parade route that runs throughout the heart of our community. This event offers something for everyone, whether you’re a happy child riding a bike, a local business owner who built a float to entertain the crowd, or someone driving their restored Classic Car. It’s a event to celebrate our independence and our community of Aptos.

Here are a few of our favorite pictures from the day. Additional pictures can be found at our Facebook page. Feel free to tag yourself and your friends. We hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed taking them!