Clad in red, white, and blue, thousands of patriotic cyclists gathered in Huntington Beach to celebrate the Fourth of July on the morning of July 1, many waving American flags and some even balancing their large pets from handlebar baskets while cruising through the city.
“When I started this ride four years ago, 1,000 people showed up … twice as many than we were expecting,” organizer of the 4th Annual 4th of July Bicycle Cruise Ed Romo told The Epoch Times.
An estimated 12,000 people participated in the event this year, according to Huntington Beach Police Department.
Shortly before takeoff, participants sang the Star-Spangled Banner before pedaling toward the beach.
“We’ve seen a lot of great bike decorations over the years,” Romo added.
Due to the popularity of the annual bike ride, city officials asked the organizers to make sure they have proper permits this year. Romo also needed a large flatbed truck, speaker system, and insurance for which he had the help of fellow Huntington Beach resident Rick Brown.
“We were able to meet with the city council before the bike cruise, and things worked out well for this event,” Brown told The Epoch Times. “The local businesses were swamped on Main Street, which was really great to see as well.”
In securing the truck for the event, Brown was able to connect with Huntington Beach Propane, which also provided speakers and microphones needed for communicating with the thousands of cyclists. He also was able to facilitate the production of personalized event T-shirts just days before the event.
“This was a word-of-mouth event where thousands showed up to share their patriotism,” Brown said. “There are not many cities in the area that can pull that off!”
Brown said it is common to see “American flags waving everywhere” in Huntington Beach but even more so during this annual bike cruise.
“I think it shows the love that locals have for their country, here,” he added.
Leading the way were Assemblywoman Janet Nguyen (R-Huntington Beach) and city officials including Mayor Tony Strickland, Mayor Pro Tem Gracey Van Der Mark, Councilman Casey McKeon, and Councilman Pat Burns, on an elevated truck.
“Have fun, be safe, and God bless America!” they exclaimed.
Huntington Beach held its first Independence Day celebration 119 years ago and has since been expanding its scale.
“Every year we look to make the festivities bigger and better than ever—last year with the introduction of the July 4th Block Party and this year with the new Cornhole Tournament.” Huntington Beach spokeswoman Jennifer Carey told The Epoch Times.
The bike ride, which started at Huntington Beach’s Lake Park, ended near the busy intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street.
