Independence Day in Bridgeport, California

The little Eastern Sierra town of Bridgeport, California, which is a few miles from where we camp, has a wonderful 4th of July celebration which we enjoyed on our recent vacation.

This year was Bridgeport's 148th annual 4th of July celebration -- and it was our second time to spend Independence Day in Bridgeport.

Bridgeport has a population of 843, per the sign as you enter town. The 4th of July parade draws hundreds:

The respect expressed by the crowds for the flag and the military is heartwarming.

The guests at nearby Hunewill Ranch ride in the parade:

Passengers in the various emergency response vehicles in the parade threw candy to the kids watching the parade:

Celebrations went on throughout the long weekend in front of the historic Mono County Courthouse, built in 1880. Here it is on the 4th:

There was a rodeo on both Saturday and Sunday. Is this Western Americana, or what?

There were "mud volleyball" games which were hilarious to watch:

There was also a fabulous used book sale at the library all weekend long. We found many treasures. My finds included a couple of books I recall reading from my local library as a teenager, George Eells' GINGER, LORETTA AND IRENE WHO? and Elizabeth Gray Vining's WINDOWS FOR THE CROWN PRINCE, about an American woman's four years tutoring the Japanese Crown Prince (now Emperor) Akihito in post-WWII Japan. (Vining wrote classic children's literature such as ADAM OF THE ROAD under the name Elizabeth Janet Gray.) I also found Richard Schickel's 1968 book THE DISNEY VERSION, still in print today. My children found some classic literature we didn't yet own, including ROBINSON CRUSOE, TALES OF THE ARABIAN NIGHTS, and a beautiful hardcover with dust jacket of Allen Drury's ADVISE AND CONSENT.

At dusk on the 4th everyone gathers on the roads near the airport...

...for fireworks which are set off at the airport, next to Bridgeport Reservoir:

There are no lights on the road back to our campground near Lower Twin Lake, but after the fireworks one could see red taillights miles into the distance as all the campers returned "home." The long line of cars reminded us of the last shot in FIELD OF DREAMS!

Related post: Out of the Past in Bridgeport, California.