The Parade starts at 9:30 am at the High School.
The route is Harristown to Highland, Rock – down to the Rock, and right onto Doremus.
Thank you to the Borough of Glen Rock for providing police support to keep the parade route safe for all!
July 3rd Pops Concert
The Glen Rock Pops Orchestra will open the Independence Day celebration on Monday, July 3 with a free concert on the lawn of Borough Hall at 7:00 pm.
Grand Marshal
This year’s Grand Marshals is the Quinn Family celebrating 75 years of the Glen Rock Inn. The Inn has been a staple of Glen Rock and has been a generous member of our community.
Participate
There is still time to participate! you can participate by decorating your bike, wagon, scooter, or stroller. You can also get together and have a group walk – build a float! There are simple ideas. To participate: fill out this form. Or email us at: [email protected]
About Us…
Welcome to Glen Rock’s 4th of July Parade! The parade was started in 1938 by a group of concerned Glen Rock residents. They were concerned about injuries caused by fireworks and highway injuries due to holiday travel, fatigue, and possible drinking.
The Glen Rock IDA was incorporated on May 2nd, 1939. The purpose of the IDA is:
“To discourage the general public use of fireworks and firearms, and to foster and stimulate a patriotic spirit and sentiment in citizens and children of the Borough of Glen Rock, NJ, and in the vicinity thereof by observing Independence Day, July Fourth, in a fitting manner, the same to be accomplished by parades, parents, mass meetings, bazaars, games, sports, fireworks, and other suitable and appropriate observances, and in general to do all things in connection with the foregoing that may be necessary and expedient to promote a safe, sane and patriotic observance of July Fourth”
Pops Concert
Keeping up the tradition, the Glen Rock Pops Orchestra will open the Independence Day celebration on Monday, July 3 with a free concert on the lawn of Borough Hall at 7:00 pm. Bring chairs and blankets and enjoy the music of the night. In case of rain, The Pops program will include an evening of legendary marches, popular patriotic songs, and favorite light classics led by Music Director Anthony LaGruth. The orchestra is comprised of musicians from throughout Bergen and Passaic counties.
American conductor Anthony LaGruth has led orchestras throughout the United States and currently serves as the Music Director and Conductor of the Livingston Symphony Orchestra and Associate Conductor of the North Shore Music Festival. He has also guest conducted in Italy and Romania.
The Raffle Drawing will take place at the concert. The Top prizes are $500 gift card, Gift baskets: $250 & $100 gift baskets filled with local gift cards. The raffle is the major source of funding for the parade.
This parade kicks off at 9:30 am on Tuesday, July 4, 2023
Grand Marshals
It all started when a Rivara married a Quinn and opened a place in Hoboken called Hotel Victor. After WW II they headed west to Glen Rock and In 1948, The Glen Rock Inn was formed. After that the Rivera side of the family opened up Victor’s Maywood Inn and then The Owl (formally Riveras) in the 70’s.
After Patrick Quinn, the founder of the Inn, passed away in 1968, the Matriarch of the family, Marie, took over the inn with help from her twin boys, Victor and Thomas, and their brother Patrick. After Victor went to college and worked in the City, he decided that the Inn was where he wanted to be. He returned to the Inn full-time and worked hand in hand with his mother running the Inn until she passed away in 2000. After that, the Inn was Victor’s baby. His son Evan helped around the Inn during High School and college. After College, Evan worked on the trading floor of the NY Board of Trade.
When Evan came back to the Inn in 2008, he and Victor decided it was time to make changes to the Inn and upgrade the restaurant to keep up with the times and the wants of the residents of Glen Rock. They knew they were in a great community that appreciated them. This meant getting the right staff and modernizing the kitchen and the bar. They wanted to continue to better serve the community.
A few years later, when COVID hit, they were open for a week and then shut down for 4 months. When this happened, they took advantage of the time and did a big renovation in the bar and kitchen area… Additionally the outdoor eating area and takeout were a huge help in keeping the restaurant going. Evan commented, “We had a lot of support during Covid, and it wasn’t just us, the community, came together, and helped each other out.”
Congratulations to the GR Inn for 75 years as a community staple in town. Thank you for all you have done for Glen Rock. Here is to another 75 years!