lynelle.miller@heraldbulletin.com

Hours before the clock strikes midnight, people begin lining the streets of downtown Anderson every July 3.

Families pull out lawn chairs, children run around with glow sticks and little American flags and vendors walk around selling toys and treats.

Then it happens, midnight comes and the magic begins.

A line of fire trucks, political candidates, dancers, clowns, Shriners on little motorcycles and go-karts, baseball teams, cheerleaders, bands, classic cars, lots and lots of candy and so much more come down the street and no one can resist the excitement.

It’s a parade in the dark. Billed as the “first parade in the nation to celebrate our country’s independence,” the annual Midnight Parade, held every July 4 in Anderson, really brings people together.

But how did such a parade — in the middle of the night — first begin?

The story goes something like this.

According to Dick Dunn, chairman for the event, it all began in 1974 with a few good men sitting around a table at the American Legion Post 127 drinking a beer or two and thinking of what to do on the night before Independence Day.

“Someone suggested they march up Main Street and fire their rifles into the sky to celebrate the 4th of July,” said Dunn. “They did, and the police came and after some lengthy negotiations — on both sides — someone suggested they start a parade.”

So, that next year, the first official Midnight Parade was born and has continued ever since.

It may have started small, but now in its 33rd year, the parade draws approximately 20,000 spectators and over 100 entries totaling 1,300 participants, said Dunn.

“We have a little bit of everything in the parade,” said Dunn. “We even have people coming out of state, too, which is not unusual.”

Grand marshals have included everyone from governors of Indiana such as Evan Bayh and the late Frank O’Bannon to Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame legend Carl Erskine of Anderson. This year, Mayor Kevin Smith’s name will be added to that list.

The Midnight Parade has not only become a proud tradition for the city of Anderson, but also of families who reside here.