ROCK SPRINGS – The Fourth of July holiday will feature a parade along Gateway Boulevard. 

The Rock Spring Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual Liberty Day Parade at 10 a.m Thursday. The parade starts at the top of Gateway and continues to the intersection with Skyline Drive, where the parade floats will turn off. According to DeAnna Hunter of the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce, there are 63 entries in the parade, one of which features the Budweiser Clydesdales. 

Rick Lee, CEO of the Chamber, said the parade is in its third year and continues to grow. Lee said he always wondered why there wasn’t a Fourth of July parade while growing up in Rock Springs. After becoming the CEO of the Rock Springs Chamber, Lee wanted to establish the parade but encountered some resistance to the idea early on. Lee said he was able to work around that resistance and create something that recognizes military, veterans and first responders. 

One aspect that needed to be worked out was how a second parade would impact the Red Desert Roundup Parade that takes place prior to the rodeo and the start of the Sweetwater County Fair. Lee said a partnership between the two parades where entries into the Red Desert Roundup Parade also gives entry into the Liberty Day Parade. 

“I think they work well together,” Lee said.

Lee also believes the difference in locations, with the Liberty Day Parade taking place along Gateway and the rodeo parade being in downtown Rock Springs also shows the two parades can co-exist.