By Quinta Goines

Nearly 100 pageant queens and 84 entries highlighted the annual Independence Day Parade held Saturday in Downtown Brundidge.

For more than 30 years Brundidge has decorated the town in red, white and blue to celebrate Independence Day on the last Saturday in June. The Brundidge Business Association hosts the parade each year in an effort to enhance tourism.

“The reason we have the parade is to help the businesses here in our area,” said Dorothea Dow said. “This brings a lot of business into the area and it helps the businesses that are located on Main Street and all around.”

Sisters Latisher Hall and Desiree Pickett have made it a priority to attend the parade every year out to their community and businesses.

“I’ve been coming to the parade ever since I’ve moved back to Brundidge,” Prickett said. “That’s been so long ago. I can’t remember how long it’s been since I started attending the parade.”

On Saturday businesses located on Main Street were open and vendors were set up selling food and drinks.

The pageant queens visiting Brundidge were treated to a tea party and meet and greet session after the parade.

In October the queens will be competing in the Miss Peanut Festival Pageant, so the tea party gave them the opportunity to meet off of the competition stage.

Kathy Hill from Rehobeth came to Brundidge for the first time this weekend to attend the parade. Her daughter, Bentley Hill represented Rehobeth as Miss Rehobeth.

“This is my first time coming to the parade,” Kathy Hill said. “I’m here supporting my daughter, Miss Rehobeth.”

Tea Party Coordinators said this is a time for all of the pageant participants to get to know each other outside of competing with each other.

“We are aiming that this tea party will show all of the queens a nice time and welcome them to our home of Brundidge,” Ulane Liptrot Jamison said.