Montreat rings in the Fourth of July

Summer holiday tradition returns for 53rd year

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
July 4, 2022

Generations of Montreaters were joined by hundreds of onlookers from nearby communities, July 4, as a summer holiday tradition returned to the Swannanoa Valley for its 53rd year.

The annual homecoming celebration, sponsored by the Montreat Conference Center, was highlighted by the 2022 Fourth of July Parade.

Spectators lined Lookout Drive from Appalachian Way to Assembly Drive, as Grand Marshals Ron and Ann Vinson led the procession, which included Town of Montreat Mayor Tim Helms, Montreat Conference Center President Richard DuBose, the Black Mountain Fire Department and dozens of clubs and community organizations.

The theme of this year’s parade — “Let Freedom Ring” — inspired a variety of creative and patriotic designs.

The celebration began as an annual gathering of families with connections to Montreat, and has since become a popular Independence Day destination for residents of surrounding areas. The parade is among several events, including an Ice Cream Social, Silent Auction and Big Circle Mountain Dance, hosted by the conference center, July 4.

Photos of the 2022 Montreat Fourth of July Parade can be found in the gallery at the top of the page.