Almaden Resident

Community

Photograph by Johnny DePalma

Furry Fourth: While Cruella DeVille mugs for the camera, a would-be fur coat sneaks off to rejoin the annual Montevideo Fourth of July parade. This year's parade will feature floats with reality-show themes.

July 4 parade is a long tradition in the Montevideo neighborhood

By Anne Gelhaus

When Cruella DeVille came to last year's Montevideo Fourth of July parade, she found almost 101 Dalmatians--or, at least, residents who dressed the part. Like the puppies in the Disney movie, the Almaden Dalmatians escaped the furrier's cruel clutches and went on to win first prize, beating out Munchkins, Oompa Loompas and other characters from children's film and literature.

This year, wannabe survivors and American idols will march in the parade, which will feature floats with reality-show themes. Contestants--in this case, Montevideo residents--will try to unseat the two-time parade winners from the Upper Puerto Vallarta neighborhood. The reigning champs are designing a float based on Dear Santa, a holiday reality show in which the U.S. Postal Service helped the jolly old elf grant the wishes of young letter-writers.

While this show is less known than Survivor or American Idol, Upper PV resident Dan Migliore says he and his neighbors had an ulterior motive for choosing it.

"We plan to enter our float in the Los Gatos holiday parade so we can reuse it," says Migliore, who serves on the board of the Montevideo Homeowners Association.

The Dear Santa float won't be the only parade entry that's shown up at other community events. Migliore says he spotted Cruella DeVille's car, which its designers sold on Craig's List, in San Jose's Gay Pride Parade earlier this month.

Migliore estimates at least half of the association's 500 members participate in the parade each year. Montevideo residents first held their Fourth of July festivities about 20 years ago, he says.

"We usually have about six to eight different floats," Migliore adds. "The city comes and blocks off the streets. It's a big community type of event."

Migliore says planning for the parade helps improve neighborly relations.

"We usually have a barbecue the day before the parade to make sure we're all on the same page," he adds. "When we're building our float, that's when we get together to talk about what's happening on our block."

The parade route traverses seven or eight city blocks, beginning at Camden Avenue and Coleman Road at 11 a.m.

"Because of the size of the event, it usually brings in a lot of people from outside the area," Migliore says. "Even old residents who've moved come back for it."

The public is also invited to a picnic after the parade, where the homeowners association sells hotdogs and beer to cover parade-related expenses.

While the goal of the event is to foster neighborhood unity, Migliore says the parade also inspires some friendly competition.

"It's all about people coming together," he adds. "It's nice to win, though."

Festival for Independence

The Festival for Independence weekend is scheduled to take place at Discovery Meadow in downtown San Jose on July1, 2 and 4. All events benefit the nonprofit EHC LifeBuilders, which serves homeless and low-income adults in Santa Clara County. Events include:

July 1 - Kihncert on the Green

July 2 - Day on the Meadow presented by Live 105

July 3 ­ Closed

July 4 - NBC11 Festival for Independence. This event is free and includes live music, cultural performances, food and arts and crafts. The event is from noon to 10:30 p.m. The fireworks display will take place directly over the Children's Discovery Museum at 9:30 p.m. and can be viewed from anywhere in the park.