I just experienced the worst 4th of July celebration in Turlock in years. The Turlock parade lasted just 27 minutes. I invited friends and relatives from out of town to see the parade and was so embarrassed when the last car said “that’s it.”

I’ve run into other locals who tried to attend the Turlock parade but ended up going home because it was already over when they arrived. I suggest that you consider canceling the parade in the future if the entries are so minimal. There are other towns in the area that have grand parades that last much longer, like in Gustine and Modesto. We could go to these communities, then come home at night to watch the fireworks at the fairgrounds.

Instead, this year just left a sour taste and probably won’t help in convincing out-of-towners to come to Turlock for events like this in the future.

— Bernard Souza, Jr.