Community Comes Together To Celebrate An Unforgettable Fourth of July

Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on July 9, 2026
- 6:49 am

Kids decked out their bikes in red, white, and blue to ride in the Family YMCA’s children’s parade. Photo by Jasmine Salazar

The Fourth of July was a fun, community-filled day. Photo by Jasmine Salazar

YMCA News:

More than 400 people participated in The Family YMCA’s Firecracker 5K, parade, and post-race celebration, showcasing the spirit that makes Los Alamos such a special place to call home.

If there was one word to describe this year’s Fourth of July celebration in Los Alamos, it would be community.

The morning began with The Family YMCA’s annual Firecracker 5K, where more than 250 runners, walkers, joggers, families, children, and four-legged friends filled the course. Around 20 dedicated volunteers helped make the event possible, while friends, family members, and neighbors lined the route to cheer participants across the finish line.

As the race concluded, the excitement carried straight into The Family YMCA’s beloved Fourth of July Parade, where patriotic spirit filled the streets and Guy Raper and State Road Dawg 4 helped bring the celebration to life.

Following the parade, the festivities continued in Central Park Square. Families gathered to enjoy Kiwanis pancakes, American Legion hot dogs, local vendors, games, crafts, shave ice, music, and time together with neighbors and friends. By the end of the morning, more than 400 people had taken part in the Independence Day celebration, creating a morning that truly reflected the heart of Los Alamos.

“Events like this are what make Los Alamos so special,” said Veronika Magnelind, Director of Stewardship and Communication at The Family YMCA. “It’s an opportunity for local families to celebrate together and proudly show visiting friends and family what our community is all about. Seeing neighbors encourage one another, volunteers giving their time, and families making memories together is what makes this celebration so meaningful.”

The Family YMCA extends its heartfelt gratitude to the organizations, businesses, and individuals whose generosity made the celebration possible.

A special thank you goes to Los Alamos Medical Center for generously donating all of the Gatorade and bottled water that kept participants hydrated throughout the race.

The YMCA is also deeply grateful to the businesses and community members who generously donated prizes for participants:

Brenda Flemming
Chocolate Maven
La Choza Santa Fe
Muy Salas
Papa Murphy’s Los Alamos
Running Hub Santa Fe
Samizdat Bookstore & Teahouse
Santa Fe Children’s Museum
Ma’am Bear Sweet Tooth

Our sincere appreciation also goes to the community vendors who helped make Central Park Square a destination for families following the parade:

The Nutty Bavarian 505
Snowflake Cottage Industries (SCI)
The Enchanted Jammery
Paperyarnstamps
Umbrella Bird Crafts
Ana & Rita Martinez
Mercado del Mundo
Simply Looks Twice

The YMCA also extends its gratitude to the Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos for serving breakfast, the American Legion for cooking hot dogs and serving shaved ice, the Los Alamos Police Department and Los Alamos Fire Department for helping keep participants and spectators safe, State Road Dawg 4 for bringing energy and music to the parade, and Central Park Square Management for graciously hosting the post-parade celebration.

Behind every successful community event are volunteers. Around 20 volunteers gave their time to help with registration, course support, hydration stations, setup, cleanup, and countless behind-the-scenes details that kept the morning running smoothly. Their dedication, along with the enthusiasm of every runner, spectator, sponsor, vendor, and community partner, made this year’s celebration one to remember.

Most of all, thank you to our community.

Whether you ran the race, volunteered your time, cheered from the sidelines, marched in the parade, enjoyed pancakes with family, visited a local vendor, or simply spent the morning celebrating with neighbors, you helped make this Independence Day unforgettable.

Every year, this celebration reminds us that the best traditions aren’t just the events themselves, they’re the people who make them possible.

Thank you, Los Alamos, for once again showing what community looks like. The Family YMCA is honored to help bring our community together each Independence Day and looks forward to celebrating with everyone again next year.

Activities continued throughout the day. Photo by Jasmine Salazar