West Peoria’s Fourth of July Parade included some special guests.
Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton walked the parade route next to West Peoria Mayor Jim Dillon.
“I asked him,” Dillon said when asked how he was able to get the governor to participate.
“They were busy last year. They kept it down on their calendar and we asked again and he’s here,” Dillon said.
“We saw all these kids lined up in this parade,” Pritzker said. “So excited about being in this parade, many on the sidelines cheering. What a great day, Fourth of July, Independence Day, everybody having a great time.”
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Pritzker said the Peoria area is special to him and his campaign.
“I ended our campaign in Peoria, just right before the election. And we also started our campaign in Peoria,” Pritzker said.
Speaking to reporters shortly after his arrival for the parade, Pritzker defended the increased taxes and fees that went into effect July 1 for the state’s capital budget.
“The expense of paying for the roads and the upgrades to our bridges and life safety across our state is worth it,” Pritzker said.
This year’s was the 49th Fourth of July parade in West Peoria.
“The first parade was started with a bunch of scouts. They decorated their bikes and their wagons and they pulled them around,” Dillon said.
Now the West Peoria parade has become a tradition.
“It’s a big family event. A lot of picnics,” Dillon said. “People will have breakfast at their house and then come over. They started setting up tents and putting their lawn chairs and their blankets out (Wednesday).”
“We have people who have moved away and they come back so they can sit in front of their old house,” Dillon said.
