I'd been wanting to go to the Idyllwild 4th of July Parade ever since the Idyll-Beast himself told me he marches in it every year.
Besides, I love a good small-town celebration of Independence Day—so a friend and I set out into the San Jacinto Mountains to watch the festivities on "the Hill," under the shadow of Tahquitz Rock.
The parade bore all the hallmarks of a close community—like local firefighters handing out candy to kids and processions by the local propane provider, real estate agents, and bicycle shop.
Idyllwild is located in the forest, and it's particularly vulnerable to wildfires—so of course Smokey Bear was there with the U.S. Forest Service to remind everyone about fire restrictions.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Mounted Posse marched in front of the Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit...
...and the heroes of the K-9 Search and Rescue team...
...including one search dog in training.
Between the parade participants and the crowd, it was an animal lover's paradise...
...not to mention the appearance by the Easter Bunny, representing the Idyllwild Community Center (which hosts an annual Easter Egg Hunt in Riverside County Park).
Samatronics brought its cast of creatures out to promote its upcoming Halloween Robot Show at Idyllwild's Rustic Theatre...
...including the seven-foot-tall "Mr. Clops" (and his "Wacky Raccoon" sidekick).
There were many vintage delights of the four-wheeled type...
...festooned with flags and red-white-and-blue bunting...
...flapping in the breeze of the unusually hot mountain morning.
The Idyllwild Garden Club hauled their greenery...
...while members of the Palm Springs Corvette Club revved their engines...
...despite the parade moving at a crawl's pace.
And lo, the Idyll-Beast was there, as promised—perched on the back of the Idyllwild Town Crier's vintage truck.
There were plenty of antique vehicles in the mix, alongside the Jeeps, golf carts, and tow trucks that were also lined up.
After all, if you've got the ride, why not show it off?
Some of the paraders had to rely on their own four legs rather than wheels—no matter how short those legs were, as in the case of the costumed corgi pack (accompanied by a bald eagle wearing an Evel Knievel getup).
And then, although the bagpipers of the UCR Pipe Band marked the end of the parade, my quest was not yet completed.
I got to finally meet Mayor Max—yes, Idyllwild's town mayor! He wore a necktie while his vice mayor, Meadow, sported a smart red vest.
These rescued golden retrievers have been socialized to love human contact. I started out sitting on the tailgate of a van in between them, one arm over each—but then Meadow came around behind me and squeezed under my left armpit, between me and Max. I started giving her kisses and her "chief of staff" said, "Oh, she'll love that!"
I had to be dragged away from those two.
And I'm sure glad I finally dragged myself out of bed early enough to celebrate July 4 in the first town to elect a canine mayor. (The first two Max mayors passed away, making this Mayor Max III, elected on December 10, 2022.)
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