Weather clears for Pottstown’s July Fourth celebration
0ZainaJuly 05, 2025
POTTSTOWN — The nation’s birthday was celebrated with flair, food, music, balloons, bubbles, a 5K race, fireworks, and, of course, a parade.
After more than a week of sweltering heat, shirt-soaking humidity, and torrential rains, the weather gods relented and provided a picture-perfect Friday for a Patriotic 5K, a parade down High Street and a festival in Memorial Park.
This last event was anything but a sure thing, given that just three days earlier, there was still standing water left behind by the Manatawny Creek, which overflowed its banks during one or both of those torrential rains earlier in the week.
The Stichter Lodge No. 254 F&M Masons were certainly relieved at this year’s lower temperatures for this year’s 4th of July parade in Pottstown. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Veterans make their way down High Street in the kick-off to the Pottstown July 4th parade. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
This patriotic eagle graced the top of this van from Married 2 Electric in this year’s Pottstown July 4th parade. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
The Allegheny East Conference Pathfinder Drum Corps performs during Friday’s July 4th parade in Pottstown. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Charles Valentine, a West Pottsgrove Township Commissioner, drives his antique car in the 4th of July parade on behalf of the Pottstown-Stowe Lions Club. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
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The Stichter Lodge No. 254 F&M Masons were certainly relieved at this year’s lower temperatures for this year’s 4th of July parade in Pottstown. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
GoFourth Festival co-organizer Amy Wolf — one half of “the Amys” who lead the effort each year, the other being Amy Francis — said the Pottstown Parks and Recreation Department’s efforts to get the park ready for the crush of visitors “were nothing short of heroic. They are absolutely amazing.” she said.
In addition, “we made some last-minute re-arrangements” to the event layout to keep people out of the dried mud in the grass as much as possible, she added.
Pottstown Police Corporal Steve Dise, left and officer Chad Hart were among several officers on bike patrol during the July 4th parade in Pottstown Friday. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
As regular as clockwork, the Boyertown Alumni Band was there Friday for Pottstown’s July 4th Parade. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
From left, twins Madison and Abigail Heintz, joined siblings Carly and Chase Penrose on a blanket to enjoy the Pottstown Fourth of July parade Friday. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
A float promoting the Carousel at Pottstown makes its way down High Street for Friday’s July 4th parade. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
There is never a shortage of vintage vehicles in Pottstown for the 4th of July parade. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
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Pottstown Police Corporal Steve Dise, left and officer Chad Hart were among several officers on bike patrol during the July 4th parade in Pottstown Friday. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
The organizers also asked for a little help from the public in the form of positive energy.
“Light some candles, cross your fingers, and bribe the weather gods with a sparkler, a lawn chair, a Very Best hot dog with chili sauce (of course), and offer a Rotary Duck Race rubber ducky at sunrise,” the organizers wrote in their newsletter.
Chase Lacey, 6, looks past his souvenir flag to see if there are any more fire trucks coming in the July 4th parade in Pottstown Friday. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Alison Federoff of Pottstown and her mom Debbie Vendrick of Oxford sported matching shirts for Pottstown’s July 4th parade Friday. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Every year, the Pottstown Rotary Club organizes the Pottstown July 4th parade and every year the giant inflatable duck, meant to encourage sales of the club’s duck race fundraiser, is on the job. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Maverick and Memphis Roesener, 2, made their way up High Street before the parade pushed by their dad Matt and his niece, Lauryn Kutsch, all of Pottstown. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Flag-bearing Scouts make their way down High Street beneath the approving eye of the Grand Army of the Republic statue during Friday’s 4th of July parade in Pottstown. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
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Chase Lacey, 6, looks past his souvenir flag to see if there are any more fire trucks coming in the July 4th parade in Pottstown Friday. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
The prayers worked, and the hundreds of runners who started the day with the Patriotic 5K were able to run the 3.1-mile course through borough streets without the threat of bursting into flames from the heat.
Equally relieved were those marching in and watching the annual Fourth of July parade, sponsored, as it is every year, by the Pottstown Rotary Club.
This year, the grand marshals of Pottstown Fourth of July parade were Art and Judy Green. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
This year’s grand marshals were Art and Judy Green.
As usual, the parade featured many fire trucks, floats and vehicles from the Pottstown-Stowe Lions Club, Pottstown Hospital, the newly named Pottstown Regional Community Foundation, the The Stichter Lodge No. 254 F&M Masons, the Elks Club, businesses like Married to Electric, and bands including the Boyertown Alumni Marching Band and The Allegheny East Conference Pathfinder Drum Corps.
After the parade was over, many made their way over to the Carousel at Pottstown, located across the street from Memorial Park, to take a spin or two while waiting for the festival to get started.
Among those riders was none other than George Washington.
George Washington stopped by the Carousel at Pottstown Friday for a heroic charge. (Photo courtesy of Nicole Raeun Saylor)
Washington, who goes by the name Michael Grillo who he is not in character, said he and his son, also named Michael, come down from Eastchester, New York, when summoned, to portray the country’s first commander-in-chief.
“I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I make my own clothes and I make my son’s clothes,” he said.
Even our forefathers got hungry. George Washington, also known as Michael Grillo of New York, is assisted by his aide, Michael Grillo, who also happens to be his son, getting a bite Friday at the Pottstown GoFourth Festival in Memorial Park. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
A wide variety of food vendors offered their wares to a hungry public Friday during the Pottstown GoFourth Festival in Memorial Park. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Naomi Moore of Lower Pottsgrove, 5, gets her face expertly painted by Janelle Jones at the Pottstown GoFourth Festival. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
From left, volunteers Mark Herbst, Amy Francis, Amy Brangaccio-Wolf and her sister Marla Brangaccio set up to sell merchanidise to support the GoFourth Festival, which followed the parade in Memorial Park. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
The James Daniels Band performs Friday in Memorial Park during the Pottstown GoFourth Festival. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
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Even our forefathers got hungry. George Washington, also known as Michael Grillo of New York, is assisted by his aide, Michael Grillo, who also happens to be his son, getting a bite Friday at the Pottstown GoFourth Festival in Memorial Park. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Inside the hastily re-arranged festival, multiple food trucks with multiple specialties filled the parking lot on the east side of the park, rather than the center aisle, which was still quite muddy.
Similarly, the stage was set up in the southeastern corner, where the ground was fairly dry and stable; ironic given that it was right next to Manatawny Creek.
A broad variety of vendors and agencies offered goods and information Friday during the Pottstown GoFourth Festival in Memorial Park. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
The Pottstown Regional Public Library was offering prizes won on a spinning wheel during the Pottstown GoFourth Festival Friday in Memorial Park. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Pottatown’s STRIVE group of young people explained their program to visitors Friday during the Pottstown GoFourth Festival. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
The bubble facilities provided by Grandpop bubbles were a big hit at the GoFourth Festival in Pottstown Friday. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Approaching 2 years old, Kristopher Mettler of Limerick seems to have this bubble thing down at the Pottstown GoFourth Festival. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
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A broad variety of vendors and agencies offered goods and information Friday during the Pottstown GoFourth Festival in Memorial Park. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Along the paved portion surrounding the central west side fields, were lined the kids’ activities, like the bouncy castle, as well as vendors and agencies offering their wares and information to the visitors.
And in the center were the brief but amazing creations of Grandpop bubbles, who both made his own and provided material for kids to make their own. Also in the center was a hot air balloon in which visitors could take short, but thrilling rides.
As the evening wore on, more and more people began to pour into the park, waiting for the big fireworks finale, sponsored by Precision Polymer Products of Pottstown.
“I just think the whole thing is beautiful,” said Royersford resident Kathy Clouser. “My grandchildren love to come to this park to play, and then we go over and have Ice House pizza, because it’s so good.”
A lifelong area resident, she is a veteran of Pottstown July 4th celebrations and she said she is glad it’s different.
“Let me tell you, I’m 70 years old and I like change. It’s hard sometimes, but I think mostly it makes you a better person,” said Clouser.
“It’s a beautiful night,” she said. “Why would you not want to be here, be united and be peaceful?”
