The Northbrook 4th of July Association, Inc. became an Illinois Not-For-Profit Corporation on June 20, 1968. Since
that time, Independence Day festivities have been planned and brought to you by a group of dedicated community volunteers. The
Association raises tens of thousands of dollars each year to bring you a day-long event, filled with fun and
activities for all ages.
For many years, the 4th of July parades in Northbrook were small and not well-attended. In 1966, a new way to
celebrate was devised, and Northbrook made national news because of the way we celebrated Independence Day that year. According to a newspaper article from 1966, the parade in 1949 had drawn only 150 spectators. 17 years later, the parade of 1966 had more than 1500 individuals actually marching in the parade. That year, Northbrook made national news by marching 1,000 transistor radios. Radios carried by Park District, YMCA, scouting, civic and neighborhood groups as they paraded from Greenbriar School to the Village Green. The radios were tuned into a local radio station playing patriotic music. This “bandless” parade drew an estimated 22,000 spectators and was planned by Kenneth Thiel, who was then the North Suburban YMCA General Secretary. The parade was featured on WMAQ-TV news with Floyd Kalber, on the national NBC Huntley / Brinkley Report on July 4, 1966, and on The Today Show the following morning.
The parade was such a success that it was repeated in 1967.
In addition to the annual parade, Northbrook’s 4th of July also has featured a fireworks program, which began in 1956 when the Northbrook Jaycees planned the display. The 11th, and final, Jaycee-sponsored fireworks program was held in 1967. In 1968, the Northbrook 4th of July Association took over, planning the parade and the fireworks program.
Another favorite event, “Breakfast in the Park” was added as part of the American Bicentennial festivities of 1976. The breakfast has become a tradition
for thousands of Northbrook families ever since.
An ice cream social was held for the first time in 2006 in conjunction with Park Fest.
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In case you didn’t know, a different theme is chosen for Northbrook’s 4th of July parade each year, and a community member or organization is chosen to act as grand marshal, as seen in the table below:
| Year | Theme | Grand Marshall |
| 1968 | Theme unknown for 1968 | |
| 1969 | Let’s Sing Out, Sing Out For America | |
| 1970 | This Land is Your Land | |
| 1971 | America the Beautiful | |
| 1972 | Harmony | |
| 1973 | An Old Fashioned 4th | |
| 1974 | It’s A Small World | |
| 1975 | This Land is Our Land | |
| 1976 | Freedom’s Way – U.S.A. | |
| 1977 | On the Road to Happiness | |
| 1978 | Close Encounters of the 4th | |
| 1979 | Games People Play | |
| 1980 | The Great Outdoors | |
| 1981 | Friends and Neighbors | |
| 1982 | Fun With the Red, White and Blue | |
| 1983 | Salute Our Volunteers | |
| 1984 | Spirit of America | Mr. & Mrs. Ed Rudolph |
| 1985 | Let’s Have an Old-Fashioned 4th | Dr. & Mrs. Homer O. Harvey |
| 1986 | Our Land of Liberty | Bert Pollak |
| 1987 | We the People | Daniel J. Walker |
| 1988 | . . . Of the People | David Cruickshank & Andy Gabel |
| 1989 | . . . By The People | Joe Doud |
| 1990 | Marching Into The 90s | Ken Thiel |
| 1991 | To Honor Those Who Served | Bruce Hoover, Norbert Gumbinger, and Vets |
| 1992 | Demonstrate Democracy | Dr. E. James Duffy |
| 1993 | Celebrating Freedom | Marcia Doniger |
| 1994 | Northbrook – An American Original | David Cruickshank, Andy Gabel, Herman Lorenz, Louie Werhane |
| 1995 | The Tradition Continues | Dan & Toni Walker |
| 1996 | Let Freedom Ring! | Ron Bernardi |
| 1997 | A Family 4th | Joe Doud |
| 1998 | Pride in Old Glory | Wally Kruse |
| 1999 | On to the Milennium | Judith Hughes |
| 2000 | Celebrate@Northbrook.IL.US | Ron Christensen |
| 2001 | The Fabric of Our History | Shermerville Kids – residents born in Shermerville |
| 2002 | Proud To Be An American | Park District and Library Boards |
| 2003 | Red, White & Blue Celebrates With Green & Gold |
Original GBN Staff |
| 2004 | Great Traditions – A Grand Time | Northbrook Civic Foundation |
| 2005 | Northbrook Salutes Pride in America | Lona N. Louis |
| 2006 | Diversity Makes U.S. Strong | Don Hintz and Jack Coombe |
| 2007 | Honoring America’s Heroes | Bernie Schmidt |
| 2008 | Red, White, Blue and Northbrook Green | Ed Harvey & John Novinson |
| 2009 | Northbrook Celebrates Freedom | Northbrook Woman’s Club |
| 2010 | Making A Difference Through Service | The Scouts of Northbrook |
