"You can't break tradition." Thousands gather for the annual Canonsburg Independence Day Parade
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – It's the second-largest Independence Day parade in Pennsylvania and it's right in our backyard.
Thousands of people watched as Canonsburg celebrated America's 248th birthday Thursday.
The parade has been going on for 61 years -- and as is tradition here in Canonsburg – people come down, find the chairs they've left – and get ready for the big show.
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"I love it – and so does everyone else, Helen Navrotski of Canonsburg said. "That's why we all do it. That's why we're up early at 7 o'clock in the morning, you know…"
Navrotski is one of plenty who file in along West Pike Street for this parade every year. Bagpipes, police cars, and military jeeps moved through the route Thursday.
They do it big here — everything down to the sheer crowd size. Canonsburg Mayor David Rhome said they expected over 60,000 people to come to the borough today to watch the parade.
For many — it's a chance to sport their red white and blue… It's also a chance to come together as a community.
"It grew enormously year, after year, after year, after year," Navrotski said. "It's just a tremendous tradition – and you can't break tradition."