July 3rd Hay Days 50th Anniversary Celebration presented by
Kiwanis Danville 4th of July Parade
presented by
Please note that the 4th of July Parade starts at9:00am this year and that spectator chairs may not be put next to the parade route until 6:00pm on July 3rd.
In 2008, we are celebrating the Town of Danville's 150th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of Hay Days.
Hay Days was the Town of Danville's Centennial celebration which was held in 1958. This year, the Kiwanis Club of San Ramon Valley is re-creating Hay Days with the generous support of Safeway.
The theme of the 2008 Special Edition Danville 4th of July Parade, proudly presented by Heller Jewelers, will be "Celebrating Hay Days".
Event History
In 1958, Danville celebrated "Hay Days" with a parade and parties to commemorate Danville's Centennial and to celebrate the San Ramon Valley. Hay Days was the precursor of the current 4th of July Parade and was a four day event scheduled as follows:
Day One: Old Time Bathing Suit Fashion Show and Carnival Day Two: Kid's Day Carnival and Pet/Kids Costume Parade Day Three: Junior Horseman's Show, Coronation of Miss Pioneer Belle, and Dance Day Four: Centennial Parade, Flag Raising Ceremony and Barbecue Steak Dinner
In 1962, Hay Days was changed to the current July 4th Independence Day Celebration.
The pictures below provide a sense of what Danville's Hay Days and July 4th Parade were all about. Click on each picture for a larger view. For even MORE pictures from the original 1958 Hay Days Parade, please click here.
; To get you in the spirit of the old-fashioned bathing suit show, here are some pictures of Kiwanis member John Lineweaver's parents, Hans and Margaret circa 1940. Click on each picture for a larger view.
On July 3rd, the Kiwanis Club of San Ramon Valley is recreating Hay Days the best we can and attempting to bring people back in time. We hope you will attend and participate in these great events creating a fun celebration for all!
Schedule of Events
July 3rd Schedule Town of Danville 150th Anniversary Celebration 4:00 - 7:00pm: Community Picnic at the Library Town Green on Front Street 4:00 - 7:00pm: Music entertainment sponsored by Safeway and the Kiwanis Club of San Ramon Valley
50th Anniversary Hay Days Celebration, presented by Safeway Location: Railroad Avenue Municipal Parking Lot in Downtown Danville All events until 8:00pm are sponsored by Safeway and are free to the public. 4:30 - 7:00pm: Hay Rides from Danville Library Town Green to Railroad Avenue parking lot provided by the Museum of San Ramon Valley 4:30 - 7:00pm: Children's train rides located at the Old Danville Hotel parking lot on Railroad Avenue provided by the Museum of San Ramon Valley 4:00 - 8.00pm: Farmer's Market 5:00 - 8:00pm: Kids Carnival Games (modern and old fashioned) 5:00 - 8:00pm: Musical Entertainment by John Richmond 5:00 - 8:00pm: Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Social 5:30pm: Kids & Pets Costume Parade 6:00pm: Old Fashioned 1850's - 1950's Bathing Suit Show 7:00pm: Horse Exhibition by the Diablo Arabian Horse Association 7:45pm: Coronation of Miss Pioneer Belle 8:00pm: Event Ends 8:00pm: "Danville Got Talent" - Role Players Ensemble Old Time Talent Show in the Veteran's Hall on Hartz Avenue (nominal fee)
July 4th Schedule 8:30am: City of San Ramon Fun Run 9:00am - 12:30pm: Special Edition 50th Anniversary Hay Days Parade, presented by Heller Jewelers 5:00pm: City of San Ramon Star Spangled Spectacular in San Ramon Central Park 9:35pm: City of San Ramon Special Edition 25th Anniversary Fireworks Display
The Danville 4th of July Parade is an incredible event which attracts over 40,000 attendees including local community residents as well as friends and family from areas far beyond Danville. The 2008 Parade starts at 9:00am and runs from the corner of Hartz Avenue and Railroad Avenue, continues down Hartz and San Ramon Valley Boulevard and ends at the corner of San Ramon Valley Boulevard and Sycamore Valley Road.
Parade entries include:
Cruisetones 1950's Band
California Historical Artillery Society (mounted living history from 1840-1918)
Chinese Lion Dance Team
Concord Blue Devils (band and precision drill team)
Precision Drill Ministries
Wells Fargo Stagecoach
"Vintage Danville" Book Launch
In celebration of Danville's 150th Anniversary, please attend the debut of the new book "Vintage Danville - 150 Years of Memories" by Beverly Lane and Laura Grinstead, which will be happening on June 28 at 7:00pm. For all the details, please click here.
Entry Forms
Bathing beauties Give you any ideas?
We are now accepting entries for the following: July 4th Special Edition 50th Anniversary Hay Days Parade (all entries must offer entertainment value to the public)
July 3rd Kids & Pets Costume Parade (no entry fee required) Limited to the first 100 entries. See entry form for details.
July 3rd Old Fashioned 1850's - 1950's Bathing Suit Show (no entry fee required) Limited to the first 25 entries. See entry form for details.
July 3rd Talent Show (no entry fee required) See flyer below for details.
Click on the button or link below and complete the online application of your choice.
If you have parade related questions, please contact our 2008 Parade Chairperson, Rob Goldstein, via e-mail at parade@kiwanis-srv.org (preferred) or 925-785-4196 for additional information. July 4th Parade participant check in time is 7:30 am due to the earlier 9:00 am parade start time.
