Clawson to continue community traditions during Fourth of July celebrations

CLAWSON — Clawson never fails to provide an exciting week of activities leading up to its big Fourth of July parade.

The schedule this year will start at 7 p.m. June 25 with a concert in Clawson City Park featuring the Royal Oak Concert Band paired with an ice cream social.

At 11 a.m. June 28, the Kiddie Parade will take place. Registration for the Kiddie Parade will begin at 9:45 a.m. The parade travels down North Washington Avenue to Phillips Avenue to North Custer Avenue and ends at Clawson City Park. The staging area will be the side parking lot by the tennis courts at Clawson High School.

Participants in the kiddie parade will be judged. Categories will include: best decorated bike or trike for ages up to 4 years old, best decorated bike for ages 5-8, best decorated bike for ages 9 and up, and best float or wagon. The theme is “Star-Spangled Salute.”

Starting at 7 p.m. June 29 will be the Clawson Freedom Run, an event that takes place each year. A 1-mile kids fun run will begin at 7 p.m. At 7:30 p.m. will be the 5K Freedom Run.

The Clawson Freedom Run 5K will begin at Clawson City Park and wind through the neighborhood before finishing back at the park. Register at clawsonruns.com. The race costs $22.

The 1-mile kids fun run is free and has prizes for the top three boys and girls ages 12 and younger. There is an option to register and buy a T-shirt for $5. The 1-mile run is entirely run on a woodchip path inside the park.

On July 4, there will be a $1,000 Firecracker Mile starting at 9 a.m., preceding the parade down 14 Mile Road. Cash prizes will be awarded to top Firecracker Mile racers, according to clawson4thofjuly.com. Register at clawsonruns.com. The price is $22. There is a combination Freedom Run 5K and $1,000 Firecracker Mile price of $35.

July 3 and 4 will feature a carnival, an arts and crafts fair, and free live music.. On July 3 and 4, the carnival will be open from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. On July 4, rides will close at 9:45 p.m., but the games and food will remain open until 10:30 p.m.

The arts and crafts fair will be located at the picnic area on West Elmwood in Clawson City Park from 3 to 8 p.m. July 3 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 4.

On July 3 and 4 there will be a variety of live music playing throughout the day. Live music will go from 3 to 6:45 p.m. July 3 and from 3 to 8:45 p.m. July 4.

The parade will begin at 9 a.m. July 4 at West 14 Mile Road and will finish at Clawson City Park.

“We have spent more money on the parade this year to attract a lot of the outside entertainment that we hire,” parade director Jay Karwoski said. “You will be seeing a lot more fire breathers and stilt walkers, the typical stuff that you see in the parades, just a lot more of it.”

Karwoski said that the Clawson Fourth of July traditions are strong, and that he hopes it continues to live up to the community’s expectations.

“The Fourth of July events are really special to the residents of this town. The parade has grown significantly; specifically, ever since COVID, it really seems to have taken off,” he said. “But it still has that sort of small-town feel to it.”

The energy and excitement surrounding this time of year in Clawson is unmatched, according to Karwoski.

“You just feel better this time of year if you live here, because of the excitement it brings as we lead up to it, and then the day, it’s a huge sense of community,” he said. “It seems like almost every resident in this city throws a party and has relatives, friends over, and you pack 100 times more people in this city that you normally don’t have over the course of a couple days.”

Lisa Ball, assistant director of recreational and senior services, emphasized the sense of community that the Fourth of July events foster each year.

“The most significant part of the Fourth of July events each year is the bringing of the community together with families, neighbors and friends,” she said. “Generations of Clawson residents have grown up with these celebrations; it’s something people look forward to year after year.”

For more information on the Clawson Fourth of July events, visit clawson4thofjuly.com.