ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Thousands of onlookers set up lawn chairs, or hoisted kids on their shoulders along Route 20A in Orchard Park for the annual 4th of July parade.
Mother nature held off rain showers as the parade meandered through East Quaker Street from Orchard Park High School to Orchard Park Middle School.
St. Mark's Episcopal Church continued its 15-year tradition of cooking hot dogs and giving them away for free.
"It's just something to celebrate the day," Father Jack Marshall said. "It's not let's convert, religions out of the box, let's celebrate today."
Father Marshall says one of the reasons the church, and other members of the Orchard Park Chamber of Commerce, make such a big deal of the parade is to continue building the community bond.
"We found that as we and other groups, not necessarily churches, started doing this and getting involved, our kids are starting to stay in town a little bit more than just going off elsewhere," Father Marshall said. "So that's an important piece."
Vendors marching in the parade tossed troves of candy to eager kids lining Route 20A.
The Orchard Park High School Marching Band got the crowd on its feet as it marched towards the middle school.
The parade wrapped up with a fireworks display once the sun went down.