The Barnstable Village/West Barnstable July 4th parade begins at 9:00 am on July 4. This event is a cherished Cape Cod tradition.

In the 1970s, the first parade was tiny and took about twenty minutes. It has grown over the years and is over an hour long today. The parade features decorated floats, fire engines from Barnstable and West Barnstable, the Barnstable Police Color Guard, Grand Marshall and Mercy Otis Warren recipients, politicians, antique cars, bikes, kids, dogs, and more.

The Barnstable Village Association and the West Barnstable Civic Association sponsor this event.

The parade starts behind the county courthouse and runs down Route 6A to Millway Road, turning left and ending up at the town playground known as The Hollow.

Participants are encouraged to decorate anything from floats to strollers to dogs to compete for the most patriotic ribbons. To get your place in line, get to the Barnstable County Courthouse parking lot by 8:00. 

After the parade, join your neighbors for old-fashioned games like egg toss, a pie-eating contest, races, a bouncy house, and a tug-of-war. The Barnstable Kiwanis Club will sell refreshments.

Barnstable Village also sponsors a home decorating contest with prizes.

For more information, see the Village website.