Members of the community will have another option for their Fourth of July celebrations this weekend as well as the opportunity to donate to the Tarrant Area Food Bank.
The Tanglewood and Overton Park neighborhood associations are hosting a Fourth of July parade and gathering in Overton Park Saturday morning at nine. The event will include a free popsicles and refreshments, as well as a donation station for the Tarrant Area Food Bank, said Joanne Viola, the Overton Park committee chair for the parade.
Viola said people who wish to be in the parade can start lining up at 8:30 Saturday morning. Bicyclists and walkers will line up on Woodwick Court, while cars and floats can line up on Overton Park Drive West. Anyone riding a bike or scooter will be required wear a helmet in order to be in the parade.

Viola also said those who wish to park and view the parade from the street can park on Tanglewood Trail or along the park, south of Ranch View Road. Overton Park Drive East and Overton Park Drive West will be closed during the parade from Bellaire to Ranch View in addition to normal road closings on Bellaire Drive.
“With the construction on Bellaire, we definitely encourage people to allow extra time to get there,” Viola said.
The gathering afterwards will also have a space for people to donate to the Tarrant Area Food Bank. Viola said the city of Fort Worth challenged neighbor associations to see who could raise the most food for the food bank as part of a city wide initiative.
Angela Rush is the Human Relations Administrator for the City of Fort Worth and helps coordinate the food drive. She said the city has included city employees in the food drive for over 20 years, however this is only the second year that neighborhood associations are joining the cause. The winning neighborhood will be recognized at a city council meeting once the contest is over.
“The neighborhoods compete against each other and the city departments compete against each other to see who has the bragging rights,” Rush said. “The neighborhoods, for being its first year last year, they really came on board very strongly.”
Rush said last year 20 neighborhoods competed in the contest, collecting nearly 4,300 pounds of food and raising over $10,600. She also added that each dollar raised is equivalent to about six pounds of food.
“It’s a great competition for a very worthwhile cause,” Rush said.