Summerlin expects 30,000 for 9th annual parade

Wednesday, July 2, 2003 | 8:17 a.m.

Everybody loves a parade, especially folks in Summerlin.

Its Fourth of July "Summerlin Patriotic Parade," celebrating its ninth year, has come a long way from from its early beginnings when a mere pack of children rode bikes from the Summerlin Library to The Trails Village.

A crowd of 25,000 attended last year's event, and organizers are expecting more than 30,000 parade watchers to line Summerlin streets Friday. Nearly 60 floats, dancers, musical groups and mascots have signed up to participate.

The parade, scheduled will begin at 9 a.m., will run south on Hills Center Drive from Hillpointe Road. It will be broadcast live on Las Vegas ONE, and again at that day at 2 p.m.

This year's parade will feature Lalaine, who plays Miranda in Disney's "Lizzie McGuire," the family act the Scintas and Super Summer Theatre's "Oklahoma."

Also performing will be the Palo Verde marching band, a Dixieland jazz band and a steel-drum band. Other participants include Uncle Sam, Metro's Mounted Patrol unit and Big Red, Las Vegas Fire and Rescue's oldest firetruck.

The parade was started by local resident Lezlie DeNardin, who organized it after years of watching the Boulder City parade.

Rachel Oliphant, events and communications coordinator for Summerlin Council, said the parade literally began as a group of children on bikes. "And that was it," Oliphant said. "It was cute. It was simple and Lezlie was out there stopping traffic."

The parade included motorized floats the following year.

"But it was nothing like it is now," Oliphant said. "We probably had 30 to 40 entries. We would beg, borrow and steal people to be in the parade."

That's no longer the problem.

The Nevada Ballet Theatre constructed a float featuring a large jewelry box with a human ballerina inside, surrounded by dancers. The Magical Hula Girls, a local Polynesian performance group, will have a tropical float featuring oversized fish. And Las Vegas Premier Soccer Club created a float that is a 20-foot soccer field.

"Everybody gets involved," Oliphant said. "It's a really good diverse group."

Cristina Farris, who is organizing float construction for the Las Vegas Premier Soccer Club, said she's long attended the parade with her family and wanted to participate this year.

"We thought it would be a great opportunity and great exposure for the club and the girls," said Farris, whose husband Ivan is the coach of the two participating teams.

"And we are very happy as a team to show our patriotic pride. It's gotten to be that hometown tradition. It's pretty neat that the community is doing this."