For first time in 12 years, the Pike County “community” Fourth of July Parade won’t be at China Grove.

The parade this year will be in the Meeksville community on Wednesday.

Alfred Alloway, chief of the Meeksville Volunteer Fire Department, said Meeksville is proud to be the heir apparent to the parade.

“The Meeksville Fire Department has participated in the China Grove Parade for years,” he said. “We served barbecued chicken and ribs plates and the parade was our biggest fund-raiser.

“The money we raised did a lot to keep our volunteer fire department up and running. So, when China Grove gave up the parade, we were proud to have the opportunity to host it.

“We’re looking forward to Wednesday and excited to be the host community. And, we’ll still have the chicken and ribs plates and Chicken Harvest will be cooking.”

The Meeksville Fourth of July Parade will march off at 11 a.m. on its one-mile route from the Meeksville fire station to Harmony Community Park.

“We’ll start lining up around 10 o’clock on that little dirt road on the other side of the fire station,” Alloway said. “The parade is still an ‘anything goes’ parade but, of course, we want the entries to be in good taste. You don’t have to reserve a place in the parade. Just come and get in line and parade.”

The community Fourth of July parades have traditionally featured anything that rolled or walked.

Everything from bicycles, lawn mowers, boats and go-carts to clowns, horses and puppy dogs has been paraded.

Floats and fancy automobiles are welcome but not necessary when these rural communities roll out the red, white and blue carpet in celebration of the birth of the Nation.

The parade will end at Harmony Community Park where there’s plenty of parking and plenty of shade.

“We’ll have plenty of food – barbecue, ice cream, lemonade and cold drinks – or people can bring their own picnics,” Alloway said. “We have plenty of picnic tables and we’ll have entertainment by the Benton Brothers and Company. We’ll be at the park so there won’t be any reason for people to have to hurry and leave.

“Just come and enjoy the Fourth of July at Meeksville.”