Turlock’s annual Independence Day Celebration will be held June 28-29 in downtown Turlock.

On June 28, a Friday, will be the annual Fourth of July parade, which will start at 6:30 p.m. The late Joe Fagundes will be the posthumous grand marshal.

Following the parade, at 9 p.m., will be a drone show.

“We’re expecting to have nearly 250 drones in the sky, and they’ll do a light show,” said Travis Regalo, executive director for the Turlock Downtown Property Owners Association. “It’s like a fireworks show without the fireworks.”

The following day will be the annual car show, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in downtown Turlock. Cars can begin lining up that morning at 6:30.

“There’s really not a deadline for entry into the car show,” said Regalo. “As long as we have spaces, you could register on the morning of. But I have a feeling we’re going to run out of spaces sooner rather than later.”

To guarantee a car show T-shirt, two free burritos and a goodie bag, Regalo says you’ll want to register at least one week before the event. All those registered will receive an email on June 26 regarding check-in protocols. 

In addition to the car show, the regular Saturday farmers market and makers market will be in operation during the same time period.

“We have a farmers market and a makers market downtown every Saturday already,” said Regalo. “So, instead of competing for vendors, we’ll be enhancing. The farmers market will be in its normal spot, and the makers market be shifted one block, but close to its normal spot.”

Regalo said that there’s been interest in having the parade on the actual holiday — July 4 falls on a Thursday this year — but he didn’t want to compete with celebrations in Atwater and Modesto.

“Those events are very popular and have been going on for 50 years or more,” said Regalo. “And it’s more expensive to bring in a fireworks show or a drone show on the actual holiday, because of demand. This way, we get a little more for our money.”

Fagundes, who died last December at the age of 80, was a renowned resident of Turlock who routinely took part in the city’s parades.

According to his bio on TurlockDowntown.com, Fagundes collected old trucks, tractors and equipment from the time he was in high school.

His parade vehicles included the “Horse Car,” a 1922 Dodge that has been a part of Turlock parades since the 1950s; a 1953 canned milk truck that was originally driven locally to pick up milk at dairies and deliver it to creameries; a 1947 Dodge cab-over; and a 1953 Dodge flatbed truck.

Fagundes’ family will ride in the parade in his honor.

To register a vehicle for the car show, visit TurlockDowntown.com/event and click on the “car show application” link, or call 209-947-2091.

If you are interested in being a vendor on Saturday, visit TurlockDowntown.com/event and click on the “vendor application” link, or email TheMarketTurlock@gmail.com.