Michelle Christie's neighborhood in Wayne, New Jersey holds a parade which includes a prize for everyone. They have different categories including group walkers, floats and bicycles. A panel of judges awards ribbons, plus a ticket for a free soda for first, second and third place and honorable mention in each category. Anyone can enter, and everyone goes home a winner.

To keep your lawn chair spectators happy, consider enlisting some of the following:
• Families carrying homemade banners pinned across a broomstick
• Pets with red, white and blue ribbons in their leashes or collars
• A parent and kid kazoo band
• In-line skaters wearing red, white and blue T-shirts and helmets, of course
• Bigger kids dribbling red, white and blue basketballs or soccer balls
• A teenage DJ carrying a boom box playing patriotic songs
• Bikes, strollers, wagons and wheelchairs sporting streamers and balloons
• A minuteman marching band featuring kids playing oatmeal-container drums and paper-towel-roll fifes. Band students can chime in with their trumpets and clarinets, and even moms and dads can dust off their old instruments and join the fun
• A clown (a parent dressed in costume) tossing penny candy to the crowd
• Use tape, streamers, flags and balloons to transform a fleet of wagons into patriotic parade floats
• Decorate the car, rig speakers to the top, and drive around the neighborhood playing patriotic songs