Overview:
A new documentary celebrating the 75th anniversary of the modern Fourth of July parade is scheduled to show at the Coronado Historical Association on July 2.
Sizzling barbecues, lively music, crowded beaches, vibrant fireworks, all within 13 city blocks: Fourth of July festivities are right around the corner.
And while some things never change when it comes to celebrating this holiday in Coronado, the group that spearheads the Fourth of July Parade each year has something new cooking on the grill.
To honor this milestone of 75 years of parades, and counting, the volunteer board of directors who run the Coronado Fourth of July nonprofit invested time, resources and energy into putting together a short documentary to honor the legacy of parades.
“Coronado loves the Fourth of July because of what it represents, and this is just another way to tie a bow around it,” Jamie Hartnett, president of the Coronado Fourth of July explained.
While the timeline counts 75 years of parades, in reality, the Fourth of July parade has been around a lot longer and has grown in size since its original beginning in 1888.
“It’s kind of a small town, Americana event that has grown into this high profile event,” Hartnett said.
However, the documentary explains 1948 is the year considered the start of the modern parades that echo still today.
The 17-minute film was produced and hosted by Coronado resident Jane Mitchell through her media company One on One Productions. Mitchell grew up in a Navy family based out of Coronado.
“It’s very close to my heart because this is my home town,” Mitchell said.
They started filming on July 4, 2023 and continued the production, research, writing and editing process from December 2023 through March 2024.
With the help of the Coronado Historical Association and Coronado Public Library, Mitchell and team are able to take documentary viewers back to the ‘50s to show what the parade looked like in the beginning and bring viewers all the way to the present in 2023.
The community in Coronado was also asked to contribute family photos, videos or memorabilia.
“People talked about how their families have been going to the parade for 75 years, 50 years, [or] 40 years,” Hartnett said.
As a local, Mitchell shared how over the years she’s had a close connection to the parade, especially through seeing her daughter grow up as an attendee of the parades.
“I could dip into my photo library and pull things that I had shot, never thinking that I would do a documentary or story on this,” Mitchell said. “For me, what has changed is seeing it through a child’s eyes. That’s what changed for me personally but what’s stayed the same is what everybody says: No matter what the floats are [or] which bands, you were there for two hours just so happy and so grateful that we’re celebrating America.”
For Mitchell, there are a few things she hopes people experience while watching.
“In any project when people are seeing the final result, all I want them to do is enjoy it, to learn from it, to be inspired by it, to be amazed, to be thoughtful, (for this) to be a little nostalgic, delighted, appreciative and celebratory,” Mitchell said. “This was about celebrating a very special thing that we do in our community.”
The goal of creating this documentary, Hartnett said, was to honor the sense of community people have experienced over the years.
“There’s so much history and legacy surrounding the Fourth of July in Coronado, whether it’s our relationship with the military or our feelings of pride [on] our nation’s birthday,” Hartnett said. “Coronado celebrates it in such a big and meaningful way. When this milestone year is upon us, it was the perfect opportunity to honor the Fourth of July in Coronado in a special way, specifically about the parade because it really is the anniversary of the parade.”
But more so than recognizing the ways the parade has brought people together over the years at the local level, Hartnett said there’s another dimension to the film.
“We’re celebrating the parade because it’s a milestone 75th year; however, it’s really a celebration of Coronado’s love and respect and honor for Independence Day,” Hartnett said.
There are two screenings at the Coronado Historical Association on July 2. The showings are at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP in advance to this free event.
