A 4th of July parade in Lyme, CT. has become an essential “Experience Lyme” event for families, newcomers, and visitors alike. It was formerly called the Hamburg Parade, now the Lyme, CT 4th of July Parade. The late Dr. William Irving, a Cove Road resident, is credited with initiating the first one in about 1966. In a 1977 Day news article he credited his own son for the idea when he asked why the town had no parade. The parade’s informal, semi-organized entourage with families, campers, antique cars and representatives of Lyme organizations assembles at Camp Clair. It proceeds over the Cove Road bridge to Hamburg Road, past the Lyme Public Hall to the Grange grounds — by foot and a unique assortment of wheeled conveyances. In 2016 the celebration of the Lyme Ambulance Association’s 40th year and Camp Clair’s 100th year contributed bountiful cheers and energy to the parade. The video was made by Chris Zajac for the Lyme Public Hall and will be preserved in the Lyme Local History Archives.
