Neighborhood Unites For July 4th Riding Mower Parade

BRISTOL, Va. – As a U.S. Army Reserve soldier who did two Iraq tours over two years, Jeff Hubbard of Bristol has shown his patriotism in special and brave ways.

But, these days, Hubbard is nearly as proud of his role in inspiring another patriotic display. One that, while hardly rivaling the dangers in Iraq, has become special in its own way:  the annual Lawn Mower Parade that winds through Hubbard’s Lynwood Hills subdivision every July 4th.

“I can’t say exactly why it’s become as big as it has, but it’s great to see how it’s become our way to show our patriotism,” Hubbard said of the neighborhood parade. “We can all show our appreciation for this country in some way. This has become ours – and it’s fun, too.”

Fun does seems the right word for a parade that – while rolling up, down and around the multi-block Lynwood Hills subdivision – traditionally:

* boasts 20 or more lawn tractors and mowers plastered with flags, star spangles and other patriotic touches;
* inspires untold numbers of decorated dogs, skateboards, motorcycles, scooters, Miss Libertys and others to also join in, and;
* draws mobs of spectators – many in lawn chairs – who line the parade to cheer, wave and laugh in support.

On Saturday, the lawn mower parade included about 50 people on seven riding lawn mowers, a bicycle, a moped, a battery-operated Barbie Jeep, and in the leading pickup truck, the bed of which moms and grandmoms used a stage for taking pictures of the event.

Most of the lawn tractors were driven by dads, of course. One of them, Lee Hines, attached a bubble machine to the back of his unit; another pulled a couple teenagers on rollerblades, in a sort of ski-the-pavement exercise. One dad had neatly and precisely covered his mower in aluminum foil. And Doug Coldiron, well, he had a professional-looking, year-round paint job – one he did himself – complete with flames along the sides.

Every parade entry sported U.S. flags, including the scooter, which was covered in tiny flags on toothpicks.

The parade attracted its traditional crowd too, as neighbors left their homes to watch the procession and wave to the drivers, who in turn tossed out candy.

“I think the funniest [display] we’ve had was when my brother-in-law turned his mower [into] a shrimp boat trawler with flags,” Hubbard said the day before this year’s event. “You can definitely be creative in our parade.”

A similarly creative spirit led to the parade’s birth on an evening in 2003, as Hubbard was chatting with neighbor Harry Russell, a fellow military veteran.

“We were talking about serving our country and showing pride, and [the parade idea] just hit us,” Hubbard said. “The first year, we had about six or seven mowers go around the neighborhood. Then, it kinda took off, I guess.”

Indeed it has, agreed Zina Hines, Hubbard’s neighbor and sister-in-law.

“It started out as a small gesture of [patriotic] support, especially with Jeff coming back and forth from Iraq,” Hines said. “It’s been something to see how it’s caught on from that.”

Staff photographer Earl Neikirk contributed to this report.

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