Brentwood's Independence Day festivities are a long-lasting tradition for many Pittsburghers

Samuel Long / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Kristine Purcell-Sacco has been coming to Brentwood’s July 4 celebration since she was a kid in the early 1960s. 

It reminds the Bethel Park native of her childhood, when her father, Tom Purcell, made it a family tradition to attend. It was the same for Tom, born in 1933, who had loved going to the parade because it reminded him of his younger years. 

Though her father died more than two years ago, Mrs. Purcell-Sacco, continues to follow that tradition. Her four children, and now their own kids, do their best to attend the borough’s July 4 celebration every single year. 

“It hasn’t changed either, it’s the same,” she said.

This year, Mrs. Purcell-Sacco’s family once again gathered in Brentwood’s Town Square along with thousands of other people for the national holiday. The borough closed a hefty portion of Brownsville Road as Pittsburghers started lining the sidewalk with foldable chairs this morning to ensure they’d have a good view of the parade.

Brentwood is just one of the communities in the region hosting Fourth of July festivities. The City of Pittsburgh has events happening at North Shore’s Riverview Park and Mount Washington’s Emerald View Park. Canonsburg and Monroeville also gather Pittsburghers each year for their own parades. 

Similar to past years, boats also surrounded Point State Park on Friday afternoon in preparation for the city’s celebration and fireworks. Individuals rode paddle boards, sunbathed, had drinks and swam in the rivers while workers and businesses set up their tents and the main stage for the North Shore event. Some docked their boats at Riverview Park and grilled food for their own cookouts. 

The Brentwood celebration has its own traditions. Before the main event, runners take over the street for the Brentwood Firecracker 5K, which kicks off the festivities each year. 

Sarah Potter, a kitchen manager at Bower Hill Elementary School and the daughter of Mrs. Purcell-Sacco, said she has participated in the 5K for the past 12 years and her children also run the race. 

She’s an avid runner, having raced in Pittsburgh’s half marathon earlier this year, and the Firecracker 5K is one of her favorite races due to the crowds of people who wake up early to cheer on participants. 

And getting to watch the parade after a morning workout makes the Brentwood celebration even better, she said. 

“With how the world is now, it’s nice to see people celebrating the Fourth because it means things to people,” Mrs. Potter said. “I’m glad to see people come together.” 

Following the race, Town Square was flooded with a sea of people donning red, white and blue. Soon, the sounds of parade music echoed in the distance and by 10:30 a.m., vintage military vehicles, firetrucks, dancers, bands and American flags marched down Brownsville Road to waves and cheers. 

Homeowners along Brownsville Road set up decorations in their yards. Many also had groups of people tailgating and, near Town Square, one house had set up an inflatable water slide for children to play on. 

One of these homeowners, Eileen Rosleck, who works as an administrator for the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, spent two days decorating her house on the corner of W Brentridge Avenue and Brownsville Road. 

Mrs. Rosleck, 63, has owned the house for 25 years and Brentwood’s Independence Day celebration became a tradition for her family and friends, too. People — many of whom Mrs. Rosleck didn’t know personally — gathered in her front yard, sharing the space with American-themed pinwheels, a red, white and blue cross reading “God bless America” and a large inflatable Uncle Sam and his dog. A sign hanging above the front steps reads: “welcome to our porch.”

When Mrs. Rosleck’s husband, Norman Rosleck, was alive, the couple used to stand in respect when veterans participating in the parade walked past. He too was a veteran and his recent death makes this year’s event even more significant for Mrs. Rosleck, she said.

Mrs. Rosleck works to make the Brentwood celebration as special as possible for the community. She was awake until 3 a.m. preparing food for visitors to her house, even the ones she didn’t know. Her kitchen was full of breakfast foods including home fries, baked goods and vegetables. The back porch held coolers filled with cold drinks and kids could splash around in her large pool. 

“People just really make you feel good,” she said. 

For Paul Kimball, 42 of Clairton, the Brentwood parade is a solo affair. He said he’s been coming to the event by himself for years. 

Independence Day means a lot to Mr. Kimball. As police, military personnel, firetrucks and emergency services rode past, he stood in the street and bowed to them as a sign of respect and appreciation. 

Mr. Kimball said it’s important that these workers and veterans and “people who died for freedom” are recognized, and he believes Brentwood is a beautiful place for a celebration to do so. 

“It’s a good parade, a great tradition,” he said. “The fireworks are amazing too, they’re the topper.” 

Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the location of one of the region’s parades. The article has been updated to reflect the correct location.