Annual South Belt parade set for July 4
The annual South Belt Fourth of July parade is set to take place Saturday, July 4, beginning at 10 a.m.
This year’s event will be a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
The parade will have two grand marshals this year, with both Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia and Sagemont Church Associate Pastor Emory Gadd taking on the job.
Event organizers said they plan to keep the same parade route as last year, which was originally introduced due to a construction project on Beltway 8. (The change marked the first time the route had been detoured in the event’s 35-year history.)
Rather than beginning at Beverly Hills Intermediate (old Dobie campus) as in past years, the parade route will again begin at Sagemont Church on Hughes Road. The route will then travel down Beamer and still conclude at San Jacinto College South as in previous years.
Participants are encouraged to arrive an hour early for lineup.
All are welcome to participate in the event, including both commercial and noncommercial entries.
Community groups and nonprofit organizations may sign up for the parade at no charge, while commercial/candidate entries must pay a $50 fee to take part in the parade.
While it is not necessary to do so, participants are encouraged to decorate their vehicles, trailers and floats. Prizes will be awarded to the most patriotic and most original entries in both commercial and noncommercial categories.
Due to the length of the route, walking is not permitted.
Entry forms are available by scanning the QR Code on Page 7, the Leader office at 11555 Beamer and on the South Belt-Ellington Chamber of Commerce’s website at www.southbeltchamber.com/freedom-250-4th-of-july-parade.
Check-in will begin at 9 a.m., with judging taking place at 9:30 a.m. The parade will start at 10 a.m.
For additional information, see related ad on Page 3 or visit www.southbeltchamber.com/freedom-250-4th-of-july-parade.
Fireworks
– South Belt: Once again this year, there will be no annual South Belt Fourth of July fireworks display at El Franco Lee Park.
Also an Independence Day tradition in the community in past years, the South Belt fireworks display has been placed on hold since 2020, as it was funded by the yearly South Belt Spectacular Cook-off (also held at El Franco Lee Park), which has been unable to secure proper permitting from Harris County to hold the event since the COVID-19 pandemic.
– Sagemont Church: Residents may still be able to enjoy fireworks, however, as part of Sagemont Church’s annual Patriotic Celebration event, set to take place Sunday, June 28, from 5 to 9 p.m.
Like the July 4 parade, the event will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
Patriotic Celebration is a free community night featuring live music, food trucks, inflatables and a fireworks show at dark.
Food trucks and inflatables will open at 5:30 p.m.. The program will begin at 7 p.m., followed by fireworks at approximately 9 p.m.
All are welcome. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chair or a blanket, as seating will not be available.
For additional information, visit www.sagemont church.org/event-details/3372.
CCISD announces Athletics Hall of Honor inductees
Clear Creek ISD announced the inductees into the school district’s Athletic Hall of Honor Class of 2026.
The ceremony will mark the 10th anniversary of the organization formed to recognize the school district’s rich athletic history and icons from its past.
Selected by Clear Creek ISD’s Athletic Hall of Honor Board of Directors, this year’s class of inductees includes two coaches, seven students athletes and three teams.
The newest members of the Athletic Hall of Honor are elite and accomplished coaches, teams and athletes who represent Clear Creek ISD high schools between the years of 1948 and 2017.
The 2026 Athletic Hall of Honor inductees are to be honored at an induction ceremony scheduled to take place Saturday, Sept. 19, at the CCISD Challenger Columbia Stadium Fieldhouse.
Class of 2026 inductees include the following:
Coach honorees
– Thomas Landgraf: Clear Lake High School, 1985-2003 (swim and dive)
– Karolyn Criado: Clear Lake High School, 2004-2023 (golf)
Student athlete honorees
– Annette Carney Propp: Clear Lake High School, 1988 (volleyball, basketball, golf, track)
– Brian Drew Williams: Clear Lake High School, 1990 (basketball, track and field)
– Meredith Phillips Thompson: Clear Creek High School, 1996 (volleyball, basketball, soccer)
– Deryell Patterson: Clear Brook High School, 1999 (football, track and field)
– Lauren Viel: Clear Lake High School, 2007 (golf)
– Brooke McCarty-Williams: Clear Springs High School, 2014 (basketball)
– Landon Etzel: Clear Creek High School, 2016 (football, baseball, track and field)
Team honorees
– Clear Creek High School Girls’ Basketball: 1964 (UIL 2A state runners-up)
– Clear Lake High School Girls’ Cross- Country: 1988 (UIL 5A state champions)
– Clear Lake High School Girls’ Golf: 2007 (UIL 5A state champions)
For information on how to support the Clear Creek ISD Athletic Hall of Honor or sponsor the induction ceremony, contact Athletic Hall of Honor Board President Dede MacPherson at dmacpherson13@comcast.net.
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