In my lifetime, I have spent the Fourth of July in several different places: at a horse show, the British Virgin Islands, Florida, the Bahamas and Aspen, Colorado. With the Fourth coming up, I have realized that there is no place I would rather celebrate our nation’s birthday than in Aspen.
The celebration begins bright and early with the annual parade, then ends with fireworks set off on Aspen Mountain. I say “bright and early” because if you want to get a good spot at the parade (especially in the shade), you need to claim your spot early. The whole town practically shuts down and comes together. The parade always opens with the motorcyclists and ends with the Miner’s Building float with the steam calliope. This is one of the biggest reasons that makes Aspen my favorite: the sense of community. Aspen comes together to put on the parade to celebrate our independence.
Another reason is that in Aspen it actually feels like the Fourth of July, particularly because everyone is always decked out in red, white and blue. In the other places I have spent it, it didn’t feel like the Fourth. Mainly because the other places consisted of spending it individually and not as a community. When I was at a horse show, I had completely forgotten that it was the Fourth until I got to the showgrounds and saw the red, white and blue yarn the braider put in one of the braids on my horse’s mane. Otherwise, it was just another day at a horse show. Also, growing up in a larger, urban area, everyone always did their own thing for the Fourth and there was no sense of a community to celebrate our nation’s birthday.
It was definitely tough and kind of awkward, spending an American holiday in a British territory, especially considering that we are celebrating our independence from Great Britain. Given I was at camp in the British Virgin Islands, during the Fourth, it just felt like another hot day in July. There was no hanging out poolside at a BBQ with family and friends and there definitely were no fireworks at night. It almost felt like a waste of a Fourth of July.
This holiday should be celebrated as a community as we are all Americans and should celebrate our independence as a country, and Aspen fulfills that.
Happy Birthday, America!
