Ridgewood Celebrates 103rd Annual July 4th Parade [VIDEO]

By Megan Merrigan

Gov. Chris Christie joined Ridgewood as the village celebrated its 103rd Independence Day parade.

The parade commenced with a ceremonial flag raising ceremony, which featured "The Star-Spangled Banner," sung by Ridgewood resident Jodi DiPiazza, and a reading of The Declaration of Independence recited by Raoul Mallalieu of Heard's Brigade, a New Jersey based Revolutionary War reenactment group.

The theme of Thursday's parade was "Honoring our Declaration of Independence."

In accordance with the theme, this year's Grand Marshals were Thornton Lockwood and the Bartlett family, both descendants of Declaration signers.

Lockwood and the Bartlett's are both descendants of Josiah Bartlett, and Lockwood is a first cousin, eight times removed, of Benjamin Franklin.

Christie rode along in the parade, which followed the flag raising ceremony, alongside his two daughters in a black pickup truck decorated with the American flag, New Jersey's state flag and a gold New Jersey emblem.