If you ever lived in or visited the City of Canfield, Ohio on July 4th,  you know it’s the perfect hometown event brimming with the reunion of friends, family, and old-fashion fun!

Traditions run deep and since the 1970s, most of the activities on The Village Green have stood the test of time and still take place each year. This includes the “Firecracker 4 Mile Run”, followed by our infamous hometown parade, and the mingling of people, adorned in their red, white, and blue attire, reconciling with friends and enjoying tasty summertime cuisine along the city sidewalks.

Our family had its own July 4th tradition when I was growing up. Mom and Dad hosted an annual house party and many invitations were extended to neighbors and friends. Dad would have the yard looking picture-perfect and mom would spend weeks cleaning our house, finalizing the picnic menu, and prepping recipes. Although guests kindly brought dishes to share, Mom still cooked for an army. 

Some years Mom would deflate our day of fun by recruiting us after the parade to help with last-minute preparations. So instead of eating our third blue raspberry snow cone sold by the Canfield Jr. Women’s League, we had to go home to slice buns for the burgers and make lemonade. The most difficult part of the day? Mom wouldn’t allow us to sample any of the recipes. Not one bite. She wanted everything to be perfect for our guests. 

At the end of the night when the sky was filled with fireworks and the last piece of apple pie was eaten, Mom was tired but pleased with all the compliments of a marvelous 4th of July shindig. She had the reputation of being a fabulous entertainer. 

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for all the memories of those hot, summer, July 4th parties on Dartmouth Ave. Those years of tradition never wavered and all 5 siblings are forever grateful you chose Canfield, Ohio as our hometown.