1923 - UA’s First Fourth of July

This teaser ad ran in The Community News on June 22, 1923:

Since 1916, Upper Arlington, Grandview and Marble Cliff had been celebrating Field Day around the date of Flag Day in June. The announcement above appeared less than a week after the 1923 Field Day event, which had followed this schedule:

This image of a Field Day float, although blurry, shows a size and scale that must have set a precedent for our current Fourth of July parades:

Upper Arlington’s first Fourth of July event was reported to be a smashing success with the hour-long fireworks show as its star. The Tri-Village Field Day continued in 1924 but ceased soon after, and UA’s Fourth of July grew to incorporate several aspects of that original event into our community’s celebration. Note: The Upper Arlington Civic League is the precursor to our Upper Arlington Civic Association which officially formed in 1933.