It may have rained on many a Tristate parade, but the stars-and-stripes spirit shone brightly through Wednesday.

        From Colerain Township to Fort Mitchell, thousands of parade watchers lined the streets to wave miniature flags and sing patriotic songs as the nation celebrated its 225th birthday.

Fort Mitchell Police Officer Andy Hyett (in trench coat) tries to keep children from running onto a wet Dixie Highway to pick up candy thrown during during the community's Fourth of July parade. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

        Umbrellas bobbed on Montgomery Road in Montgomery as children with painted faces squealed in their ponchos and parkas and older folks drank lemonade from cans. It was as American as barbecue, baseball and good old red, white and blue.

        “We played, "Ain't Gonna Rain No More, No More,'” said tuba player Phil Stikeleather of the Buffalo Ridge Band as he made his way to Montgomery Park in the rain. “The song didn't work.

        “I'm amazed there's this many people who'd come out here in this kind of weather.”

        But the band did play on with its Dixieland jazz, songs such as “Grand Old Flag” and “Yankee Doodle Dandy” as others in the park made their way to eat roasted corn and watch the Montgomery T-Ball All-Star game.

        It was the National versus American team as youngsters in red and blue uniforms ran the bases on a grassy field.

Lisette Suave, 4, (left) explains the finer points of parade watching to her little sister Lianna, 2, as they await the start of the holiday parade in Montgomery. (Michael E. Keating photo) | ZOOM |

        “It's a little soggy, but fun,” said Stu Shroyer, 31, of Mount Lookout, whose nephew, Brett Carlin, played. “Nobody's really complaining about it.”

        Brandon Niehaus of Mason had plenty to celebrate as he and his family members talked about the fireworks.

        “It's kind of a special holiday for me,” said the soon-to-be 12-year-old. “Because tomorrow is my birthday.”

        In Fort Mitchell, Elena Castanio, a native of Salamanca, Spain, was visiting friends Mark and Kristin Moser of Anderson Township before she begins a student exchange program this month in Texas.

        She took in Edgewood festivities before staking out her spot along Dixie Highway in front of Blessed Sacrament Church for the parade.

        “She said they don't have anything like that in Spain,” said Mrs. Moser, who was translating for Elena. “She perceives it as typically American.”

Colin Rusel marches on stilts as “young Uncle Sam” in the Fort Mitchell parade. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

        That typically American theme carried on across the Tristate, especially in Reading, where Halker Flege Post 69 hosted festivities at Koenig Park.

        Donna Ray of Milford was working in the Big Six gambling booth early in the afternoon.

        “Everything we make off our gambling goes to needy families in our community here,” she said. “This is Independence Day and we're making money to support our veterans.”

        She said the money goes to programs such as Gifts for the Yanks, which provides VA hospitals with televisions and other gifts, and the Marie War Fund, which is designated for female veterans.

        “This is what it's all about,” said Stan Barth, commander of the American Legion post, which serves Hamilton, Clermont, Brown, Warren, Butler and Clinton counties.

        “I look at the guys who didn't come back,” the Vietnam veteran said. “This is what they fought for.”

       Ray Schaefer contributed to this report.
       
       

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