LENOIR CITY, Tenn. — The half-mile Kids' Firecracker Run is a Fourth of July tradition in Lenoir City.
The city also celebrated by having vintage cars and trucks on display, along with horses cruising downtown during the parade. they were all decked out in Fourth of July style. Kids cooled off with water guns and there was no shortage of candy being passed out.
Mike Henline, a city councilman, has been participating in the parade for around 40 years and says it perfectly represents the city.
"It shows what the goal of our city is — creating a sense of community everyone belongs and everyone has a say. It's a great place to live," says Henline.
Some local businesses also opted to stay open for the holiday.
"We're typically open on Tuesdays and completely forgot that the parade was going on, so it was a pleasant surprise," said Kelli Martinez, who owns a business that welcomed guests during the celebrations.
It was a good day for small businesses in Lenoir City. The celebration was also part of a growing community effort to regrow the downtown district.
"The property values are beginning to rise because, for many years, there was nothing here. And now, you can't even find space in downtown Lenoir City. It's a beautiful growth," said Henline.
The city says they plan to make the parade and run even bigger next year.