To celebrate the birth of America, thousands of people came out to watch the Harrisonburg parade and camp out for the fireworks. However, with a slowing economy, the celebrations had to scale back a bit this year.

Alexis Morehouse, an organizer for the parade, says, "I'm hoping that no one's going to be able to tell where we cut. We strategically tried to find places to cut. We found a lot of donations this year. Went begging to everyone and it really showed how much community support this event has.

Still, the cuts didn't dig into the spirit of the day. Even Mayor Kai Degner came dressed up to show his support for the city and country.

Degner says, "You enjoy seeing the parade. You enjoy seeing people dressed up as Uncle Sam and getting an American flag. It's just a wonderful day to be here."

Onlookers came from all over the country to watch the celebrations Saturday and to honor their freedoms as an American.

Kara Wadovick, a Florida native who was visiting her daughter, says, "I'm so glad for my independence, my life that I have and the opportunities that we have here in the U.S."

History class are also paying off for the children. They celebrated the men and women who fought for our country since the Revolutionary War.

Lucas Biires, a parade watcher, says, "Because if we didn't have them and they didn't fight for it, we would still pay taxes to the British."

Organizers say that they hoped the public did not notice the cut backs that were made. They also say it was one of the best turn outs for the parade in years.