Pike County’s Fourth of July celebration traditionally begins in Brundidge the last weekend in June with a “Salute to Veterans” on Friday night and the Independence Day Parade on Saturday. Both events are sponsored by the Brundidge Business Association.

This year’s Salute will be at 7 p.m. Friday, June 24, with the parade at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 25.

The deadline for entry in the parade is 5 p.m. Monday and everyone is invited to participate.

Delatha Mobley, parade committee co-chair, said this will be the parade’s 25th year since the 900th Maintenance Company in Brundidge returned from Saudi Arabia.

“This is a milestone year for our National Guard and we certainly want to recognize those men and women who served along with all our veterans,” Mobley said. “We’ll have parade transportation for our veterans so we encourage them to come as we honor them.”

Mobley said Col. Ret. William “Billy” Jackson will be honored as the Grand Marshal of the 2016 Brundidge Independence Day Parade.

The parade will line up at the Fort Wendell Taylor National Guard Army and along Veterans Blvd. beginning at 8 a.m.  The parade will begin at 9 a.m. and follow a Main Street Route.

Professional and homemade floats, cars, trucks, walkers, bicycles, beauty queens and funny things are among the entries already registered.

To reserve a spot in the Brundidge Independence Day Parade, call Mobley at 334-735-2179 or Lamar Steed at 334-735-2306.

Mobley said Pike County began a countywide Fourth of July tradition in April 1991, when Brundidge Mayor Jimmy Ramage, Troy Mayor Jimmy Lunsford and Judge Billy Gibson asked the Pike County Chamber of Commerce to assist in forming a Pike County Fourth of July Celebration Committee.  The committee would be responsible for organizing a patriotic celebration to honor American veterans of all wars.

The weekend event was to begin with a ceremony at Bicentennial Park on Friday night, continue with a parade in Brundidge on Saturday morning and a fireworks display at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night.

The idea took root and 25 years later, Pike County continues to honor the independence of America in a big and extended way.

The Independence Day celebration begins in Brundidge on the last weekend of June and continues on the Fourth of July with the Meeksville Fourth of July Parade in the morning and concludes with a bang with the fireworks display at Memorial Stadium in Troy.