July 4th - Grandma Shosh Style
by Michael HoffmanFriday, July 13th, 2007
We had conversations with several organizations about doing some video work on July 4th. The idea being that July 4th is the perfect patriotic backdrop and a great time to do “man on the street” interviews. Whether the issue was global warming or human rights, July 4th parades offer lots of compelling imagery and lots of people to talk to.
This year was my third or fourth year actually participating in July 4th parades. My mother-in-law owns a 1931 Model A Ford. She is the only women in the Ford Authentic Restorers Technical Society, aka the F.A.R.T.S. She organizes the group to attend three parades in northern Illinois. For two of those parades — Skokie and Evanston — we participate, putting the kids in the rumble seat and marching along side the car.
As you can see from my pictures below, there is great imagery and lots of diversity in these parades. The first half of the photos are from Skokie, the second from Evanston. The Evanston parade is much more a political affair, as you will also see in the pictures. For the organizations that participate, the parade gives good visibility and a chance for volunteers to actually do something other than click on a site or send an email to their member of Congress.
