Texas, today's mayor to toss.
She is alive in downtown Belton.
Mayor that again.
I'm going to ask you to step bak
because we don't need an alarm clock.
Your pants will wake everyone
up this morning Mayor that you
have more on this year's theme
of this year's celebration.
Yeah, we are so excited to be out here.
We are on the parade route right
where Texas today will be to gie
you the parade starting at 9:00.
As you can see, some people are so dedicated.
They've been setting up since last week
and they've been setting up overnight.
Some are even showing up right
now before that heat sets in.
So I want to show you all that
you have to look forward to.
We are excited to celebrate thet
and 4th of July again this year.
With our parade and festival and
all the the concerts and firewos
and all the things that make it
a great community experience
with every passing year,
each Belton 4th of July parade carries
the history that began in the early 1900s.
For over a century, families have come
out to enjoy each and every par.
Known as the largest 4th of July
parade in Central, TX, this year it's
all about coming together again.
Our theme this year is Better Together.
Reflecting how we when we work together,
things work better and our community has
is thriving because working together,
coming together for this parade
will be the three Grand Marshal,
Terry Covington with the Belton
Area Chamber of Commerce,
Wayne Carpenter with the City of
Belton and Joe Shepherd with the
Belton Economic Development Gro.
And those 3 individuals have
had visionary leadership.
Along with those organizations
working together for the
betterment of our community, alo
in the parade, and working not y
for the betterment of the commu,
but working towards the future
is the Belton High School's
Future Farmers of America,
who've showcased a float in
the parade for over 30 years
before. One of our biggest goals
this year is community outreach.
We're looking to get our message out there,
let people know about agriculture and
the FFA, and just have a good t.
And so being able to have our ft
and parade and kind of highligh,
oh, there's agriculture educatin
schools still going on, it's kif
exciting to just highlight that. Ready.
All right. Well, I have the man here himself,
Randy Pittenger.
Thank you for being with here
or with us here this morning.
It's already getting a little h.
We're getting a little sweaty.
I wanted to ask you, though,
when this kicks off at 9:00 AM,
what should everybody look forward to?
Well, this is a wonderful.
Community tradition we've done r
over 100 years here in Belton.
We gather together to celebrate
our country and to celebrate
who we are as a community.
As you have mentioned,
people started lining up,
putting their trailers and
their trucks out a week ago.
And of course we had some folks spending
the night last night to save their spot.
We love how people come out her.
And they follow their family traditions.
Perhaps they've been in this spot for
the for many generations to watch the
parade this is brings out people from
all over our area far and wide .
But this is a very special timef
building community and cheeringr
each other and and seeing all ol
the things that make us strong a
community and and with the patriotism.
And all those neat things.
It's it's just an exciting time to be here.
Basically it's the Taylor Swift
concert for Belton. But I just
wanted to ask you one last thin.
What is 4th of July mean to you?
Well, again, for me this is
about bringing people together,
but it's always about the kids.
For me, seeing the children ande
and the excitement in their eyes when
they see the horses or they when they
see a float or they hear the bad
or a fire truck or whatever it ,
seeing those children light up.
And the excitement in their eye,
that's what it's all about.
They may be in the parade,
they may be on the parade
route watching as a spectator,
but they're all involved in the process.
This is a family event.
Families come together.
As I said, multigenerational,
have state come together in this place
and we've done this for a long .
And so that's what I look forward to,
the most of those children's fa,
whether they're in the parade
or on the on the route watching.
Their their excitement and
enthusiasm really gets me excit.
All right. Thank you, Randy.
Thank you for this.
Thank you for bringing this to
the community for so many years
and bringing so much, you know,
to just celebrate freedom.
So, so much to look forward to.
This kicks off the Belton 4th of July parade.
Kicks off at 9:00 AM.
You can see the Texas Today
team in the parade route.
And I will be right here talking
to y'all about all your freedom,
spirit live in Belton.
I'm Meredith Haas back to you.
Mayor, then you are having too much fun.
It's a parade inside my city.
You said it best.
It's the Taylor Swift for Belto.
Big B town. Looking forward to .
And did you all know that you
can watch it right here on
Channel 6 starting at 9:00 AM?