Thousands of people turned out for both the De Soto Fourth of July Parade and the fireworks display held July 4, said Sarah Greenlee, office coordinator for the De Soto Chamber of Commerce.
She said people also lined up and down the route from Main Street to JC Culwell Stadium to watch the parade.
Greenlee said the parade included more than 100 entries, including more than 300 walkers and about a dozen horses. Drummond’s Florist and Greenhouses won the Best in Parade trophy.
“They took home the Best in Parade grand prize trophy with a huge Fourth of July backyard barbecue-themed float, two side-by-sides, trucks, complimentary flowers, plus over 70 participants all on their own,” she said. “It was neat to see all their family there. It was a huge family affair.”
Mayor Rich McCane served as the parade grand marshal.
Greenlee estimated that a few thousand people attended the fireworks display, which started at dusk on the baseball field behind De Soto High School.
“We were thrilled with the success of the 97th annual Independence Day parade and fireworks display,” she said.
In 2024, the De Soto chamber took over planning and fundraising for the annual fireworks display, which costs about $20,000.
“We ended up being around 83 percent funded, and we are confident that the last little bit will still trickle in,” Greenlee said. “We are grateful to all who participated, donated, volunteered, helped behind the scenes, and our event location hosts whose support and hospitality played a vital role in making the events festive, fun and welcoming to all.
“We have huge plans for next year with it being the 250th anniversary of the United States of America’s founding so stay tuned.”
Click to see more photos of the event:
