Two days before the first star spangled floats and marching bands of the Canonsburg 4th of July Parade plodded up the slopes of Pike Street, anticipatory rows of folding chairs laid claim to the street curbs. Come Thursday morning, tens of thousands of people packed the street’s parade route as the ringing of church bells, a rendition of the national anthem and the rumble of antique cars signaled the start of the procession through the Washington County town’s business district. 

Pittsburgh stories through photos

The annual Canonsburg parade started in 1963, when America was more than a bit different. John F. Kennedy was president amid the unrest of the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement, the use of ZIP codes had just been introduced, and there was only one “Wal-Mart Discount City” in the country. At that same time, Perry Como, born one of 13 children to an Italian millworker in Canonsburg, was hosting his successful NBC variety show, “Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall.”

Since then, the town has made its own news in relation to industry booms and busts (and booms again). It has drawn other famous folk, including Pittsburgh’s Wiz Khalifa, who bought a home there in 2012. But it’s the local lore of leaders of the Whiskey Rebellion tearing open stolen federal mail sacks in the back room of the town’s Blackhorse Tavern that seems to tether the town to both the foundations and evolution of American history. 

Fast forward to 2024, in an election year that calls us to continually question what it means to be American. The shoulder-to-shoulder scene at the Canonsburg 4th of July Parade offers a public forum to explore that meaning, in all its complicated packaging. PublicSource photojournalist Stephanie Strasburg headed to the parade to document the feeling at one of Pennsylvania’s largest Independence Day celebrations.

People dressed in patriotic attire and costumes attend an outdoor event with flags and banners. A person stands out wearing a faux dinosaur costume adorned with stars and stripes.
A festive crowd in front of the U.S. Post Office along Pike Street waits for the next float at the Canonsburg 4th of July Parade, Thursday, July 4, 2024. “The streets were extremely, extremely packed this year. We saw people squeezed where we don’t normally see people,” said Carmina V. Vitullo, the chairperson of the Canonsburg 4th of July committee. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)
A green classic car with an American flag on the back window is driving in front of an antique store. Several people are sitting and standing on the sidewalk, spectating the event.
An antique car driven by parade sponsor and dentist Dr. Bill Sulkowski, of Canonsburg, rides past the stores of the downtown. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)
A group of people play accordions on a float during a parade. Spectators line the street, and American flags are visible in the background.
The Valencic Brothers & Friends button box players provide the polka jams along Pike Street. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)
A man and woman dressed in patriotic clothing sit beside a decorated skeleton in lawn chairs, with a building and a tent in the background.
Ron and Jessica Campbell sit with their boney buddy along the parade route. Jessica Campbell says it’s Halloween for her all the time. “I call him George, he calls him Bones, whatever,” she said of the identification of their skeleton. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)
A group of girls in white dresses and sashes sit on a parade float adorned with red, white, and blue decorations in front of a United States Post Office building.
Mollie Fenk, Miss Cinderella Talent Pennsylvania 2024, of West Mifflin, rides on a float with her fellow Cinderella Pageant winners. Fenk’s winning talent is ballet, she said. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)
Children collect candy from the street during a parade, while a crowd of spectators watches from the sidewalk.
Children scramble to gather candy along the parade sidelines. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)
A person dressed in historical clothing marches while an enthusiastic crowd, many wearing patriotic attire, cheers during a street parade. Flags and vendor signs are visible in the background.
Revelers along the Canonsburg 4th of July Parade route shout along with a member of the The 1st Virginia Regiment of the Continental Line. The First Virginia Regiment is a group dedicated to portraying the soldiers and civilians of the Continental Army from the Revolutionary War. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)
People sitting inside and outside open portable toilets on a parade float, with toilet paper streaming from the units and a "Grandpa Joe's" sign displayed below.
People ride in porta-potties as a part of the Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop float. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)
A man wearing American flag overalls holds a child in a striped outfit, with a girl in a red dress standing beside him. They are outdoors in a small town neighborhood.
From left, Asa Brooks, 7, Dylan Pareso, and Pareso’s son, Braxton, 2, all of Houston, pause their parade watching for a photo. Pareso was excited to get a matching outfit with Braxton for the festivities. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)
Participants in historical clothing march in a parade. The foreground shows a man in a red shirt and tricorn hat holding a rifle, while spectators watch from the sidewalk.
Drew Manko, right, of Eighty Four, reloads his gun as he marches with the The 1st Virginia Regiment of the Continental Line. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)
A man wearing sunglasses and flashing a peace sign stands in front of a house with a group of people, including a child in a Spider-Man shirt, on a sunny day.
Canonsburg native Jesse Kaus, of Washington, brings the mullet power to the parade sidelines with his celebratory wig. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)
A marching band in blue uniforms parades down a street, led by a drum major in a white uniform. Spectators watch from the sidewalks, with buildings and an American flag in the background.
Lidia Romito leads the way for the Canon-McMillan Big Mac Band as they play their way through Canonsburg to applause from the crowd. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)
An adult seated in a folding chair holds a sleeping baby on their lap while cooling the baby with a portable fan. Blocks and a stroller are seen in the background.
David Kozak of Canonsburg holds a fan on his 8-month-old daughter, Caroline, as she snoozes through the marching bands and commotion of the parade. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)
A woman and two young children ride in a vintage truck during a parade. The sign on the truck reads "July 4th." In the background, there are stores including "Grandpa Joe's Candy Shop."
A group is all smiles as they drive from the parade as crowds disperse from the event. Parade officials estimated the crowd was in the 40,000 to 50,000 range. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)

Stephanie Strasburg is a photojournalist with PublicSource who can be reached at stephanie@publicsource.org, on Instagram @stephaniestrasburg or on Twitter @stephstrasburg.

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Stephanie Strasburg is a photojournalist and documentary filmmaker at Pittsburgh's Public Source dedicated to community journalism and trauma-informed reporting. Her recent reporting for Public Source...