Brain’s 4th Filled With Parades, Cookouts and FIREWORKS! [GALLERY]

I hope everyone had a fantastic Fourth of July weekend! It was a busy one for our family with numerous parades, cookouts, and of course...fireworks! Even though the weather heated up over the weekend, it was great to get out and enjoy so many activities with the family.

Holly and the kids walked in the Freedom Festival parade on Saturday. Holly works for Hy-Vee which was a huge sponsor of this year's Freedom Festival. They handed out candy to a packed parade route and had a great time. After that, it was cookout number one at my brother's. That night it was fireworks at the neighbors. It was more fireworks on Sunday night at more friends in Marion. We sure saw some impressive local displays. We also heard from some not so happy neighbors. Some people are definitely going to be happy the Fourth is over!

The morning of the Fourth, we traveled to Monticello. I've been going to this parade for years and it is fantastic. Thousands attend and weren't disappointed again this year! Among my favorite moments was the 1969 GTO that drove by and someone on the local Republican float throwing out a Hillary mask to the crowd. Gotta love politics on the Fourth.

Our Fourth ended with a trip to downtown Cedar Rapids for the Freedom Festival fireworks display. We watched from the comforts of the fourth floor of the building that KHAK resides in. Plenty of windows face the Cedar River and we had a great view of the show. That all makes for a tired Brain today, but it was worth it! Nothing says 'summer' like parades, cookouts, fireworks...and today, a nap.