Get out the chairs because Brentwood’s traditional 4th of July parade and fireworks are set for Sunday, July 4, with the Brentwood Firecracker 5k race scheduled for the next day.
The Brentwood, PA 4th of July Parade gets underway at 1:00 PM at the entrance to Brentwood Park. Two historic World War II aircraft will fly over to mark the start of the parade in support of veterans and active military.
Once it starts, the parade weaves its way on and off Brownsville Road, which is a departure from previous years. The route was changed because fundraising to pay for the parade was disrupted by the pandemic. Expenses related to the usual parade range from $30,000 to $60,000.
The Brentwood 4th of July Committee Presents:
Fourth of July DETOUR 2021
This year we’ll be bringing the parade to you!The Brentwood 4th of July Committee
Fire trucks and other vehicles will parade through the streets of Brentwood to bring music and candy directly to people’s homes. People can look at the Brentwood 4th of July Committee’s Facebook page to see where to set up their chairs.
Brentwood’s spectacular fireworks are scheduled to to be shot off from Brentwood Park at 9:30 PM.
The next day – Monday – the Brentwood Firecracker 5k starts at 9:00 AM. The 5K is usually moved to Monday when the 4th is on a Sunday to avoid disrupting the many churches along Brownsville Road.
The Brentwood Firecracker 5K attracts 5K athletes along with people who just want to run. Historically it has one of the largest fields of runners in the tri-state area. It has been a popular event for years.
This year, the 38th Annual Firecracker 5K will be a hybrid event. A limited number of people will run along Brownsville Road in person while everyone else can run virtually.
The in-person event itself is limited to 500 runners. Preregistration happens at RunSignup. Runners start at Brentwood Towne Square at 9:00 AM, travel along Brownsville Road to Italian Village Pizza at the border of Brentwood and Carrick, turn around and race back to Brentwood Towne Square.
In past years, Brownsville Road was filled with spectators cheering on the runners. Not this year.
People can also run this year’s Brentwood Firecracker 5K virtually. In a virtual 5K, runners register in advance and run their 5k anywhere during July. Some runners even print their own number tags – called race bibs – and attach them over their abdomen with safety pins. They submit their time online.
The Brentwood Firecracker 5K raises funds to support local organizations:
- The Brentwood Food Pantry
- Brentwood Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
- Brentwood EMS
- Brentwood Volunteer Fire Company
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the 4th of July was silent in Brentwood and communities through America. There was no in-person Brentwood Firecracker 5k, although the 2020 race was held virtually to raise funds for local organizations. There was no Brentwood parade in 2020 for the first time in a century. The 40,000 people who usually enjoy the race and parade stayed home last year.
This year, with half of Pennsylvanians fully vaccinated, and an even larger percentage at least partially vaccinated, events have been brought back, including – in modified form – the usual Brentwood Fourth of July festivities.