Midtown Savannah Parents Group plans family-friendly Fourth of July celebration
Feeling like a little something more low key this Independence Day, something more oriented towards our littlest Americans? The Midtown Savannah Parents Group’s Fourth of July Celebration, taking place from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in the popular locals-centric Hull Park, has got you covered.
“We are building Savannah’s newest tradition,” said April Haas, one of the event’s organizers, “We are trying to create a more family-friendly and safe Fourth of July experience for children, because there aren’t really many in town.”
Haas added, “A lot of kids, they hate fireworks, and they don’t want to stay up late at night. So, we were trying to create something that a lot of kids would like and would be able to participate in.”
A parade, prizes, food trucks and a splash pad
That participation will include a parade starting at 10:30 a.m. and open to all who attend. Prizes for the best decorated wagon and bike as well as best pet and group costumes will be awarded. Local vet Dr. Kate Steadley’s new veterinary clinic Midtown Mutts; the Jewish Educational Alliance; Habersham Village’s Punch and Judy; and the Bunny Hive, an activity studio for kids in the Starland District, will have giveaways. Plus, as Haas tells it, winners will also get bragging rights and “a dope trophy.”
“There’s not an entry fee,” she explained. “I think we have these really cute, movie vignette ideas in our heads where we’re gonna see dads dressed like George Washington, and dogs wearing Abraham Lincoln hats, and kids with streamers on their bikes ― stuff like that.”
Haas mused, “If there’s a group of dads who all play basketball together on Saturdays, and they all want to dress up as a group of Revolutionary War guys, or kids that play instruments, but maybe who are not in a school band, and they want to march with friends, that would be super fun.”
Following the parade, which will loop twice around the mostly shaded sidewalk that encircles the park, the plan is for there to be a community picnic. Celebrants are encouraged to bring their own food, but Pour Boy Coffee’s Mobile Barista, Birdie Lu’s Ice Cream Truck, and a local barbecue restaurant will be on hand with plenty of options for those who wish to purchase grub on-site.
Organizers are suggesting that parents pack their kids' swimsuits as well, because after lunch, they’re expecting them to take over the recently renovated splash pad as the temperatures rise.
“Honestly, it could be completely bananas,” Haas laughed.
“Where kids can have fun”
The Midtown Savannah Parents Group was formed by local realtor and mom Chelsea Phillips, who was initially looking to connect clients who’d recently moved to town with other local families. At the time, she was pregnant with her first child, and as she prepared to bring her son, Cape, into a post-COVID world, she saw that parents that she knew, folks who often lived within just a block or two of each other, never really had the opportunity to meet, even though she knew that if they did, they and their children would be friends.
Brainstorming with her Six Bricks Realty colleague, fellow mom and Midtown Savannah Parents Group co-founder Jane Kemp, they initially kept things simple, with activities consisting of little more than buying coffee for folks and meeting at the playground. But then, she said, “Somehow I bought a bounce house or two, and then all of this snowballed.”
“I was a little hesitant about starting it because, in real estate, everyone thinks that I’m trying to sell them something, when I’m just like, ‘Hi,’” Phillips continued. “But it’s important for my kid to have a sense of community. It’s important for us to have this network of moms to rely upon.
“I really just want to have a community where parents can involve parents, where we are connected, where kids can have fun,” she added.
When Haas learned about the group, that simple concept really resonated with the mother of two. Free to join and always open to volunteers, she soon found herself added to the organizers’ group chat, and she and her family became fixtures at the monthly Hull Park meetups.
“This neighborhood lends itself so well to that classic playing outside, know every kid on the block, kind of childhood,” opined Haas, “where you can meet the parents that live down the street and become friends with them, so that you’re having playdates and lemonade stands.”
“In order to build that kind of village-type childhood for my kid, I have to participate in this kind of local parent group.”
Responding to a Need
At the time of this writing, the Facebook event for the the Fourth of July Celebration has over 150 RSVPs, by far the biggest response that the Midtown Savannah Parents Group have gotten for any of their gatherings. While many people might associate Independence Day with booming fireworks and a good beer buzz, it’s clear that there’s a sizable section of Savannahians who are looking for something different, something a little more kid- and pet-friendly. The loosely knit upstart organization is hitting on that need, and they want folks to join them in the fun.
“It’s not like we have this set mission and value statement,” Phillips explained. “I’ve seen what I like with other [parents groups], and I would love to do the most good, but it’s not clearly defined as to what that looks like. Anyone who’s interested in helping to define that, yes, you are wanted. If you care, you are wanted.”
“There are so many people here who just want to be together and celebrate with their kids.”
Find the event page for the Midtown Savannah Parents Group Fourth of July Celebration at facebook.com/events/1192042345259362. Connect with the group itself via their Facebook page, facebook.com/groups/2340962486080945.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah Parents group plans family friendly Fourth of July event
