Expect road closure for July 4

Irving — The city of Irving is looking forward to a rare Saturday Fourth of July and is doing all it can to ensure businesses in the Heritage District are prepared for the annual parade. The event will feature marching bands, floats and all-things-red-white-and-blue to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. 

“We haven't really had this sort of luck in a while,” Special Events Coordinator Hannah James said. “So, we're going to really capitalize on it being a weekend. Hopefully, that'll cause the least amount of disruptions that we can.”    

Festivities are expected to last until noon with the parade starting at 9 a.m. The parade is expected to last an hour and a half. This year, the parade will follow what the city calls, “the old route” from 2nd St., turning on Delaware St. and coming back up Irving Blvd.

“We've been doing the old route for the last handful of parades and it seems to be going pretty well,” James said. “Previously, we had a lot more of a disruption because we had to go through the residential area with the construction that was happening on Irving Boulevard. So, now that we're out of that, it's kind of gone back to how it was before.”

The parade’s staging locations will be on Rock Island Road. Drivers should anticipate road closures starting in the early morning.

After the parade, Heritage Park will host a carnival with food, rides, games, prizes and a pie eating contest, a dunk tank and more. The city is currently seeking volunteers willing to take the plunge. 

Starting at 8 a.m., roads along the parade route will be closed. Though drivers may be redirected by city staff and barriers as far as two blocks away. Business owners who need into the area are encouraged to plan with Megan Gordon or Kyle Conway with the city of Irving to facilitate entry. 

“We definitely want to be supportive of all downtown businesses in the best ways that we can,” James said. “With it being a holiday, we want to be able to give you all as many outlets as possible to get not only just people in your businesses, but also get your businesses out to the people.”

While applications for the parade are closed, organizers encourage local business owners and residents to reach out and see how they can still participate.