Fourth of July fireworks grab the attention, and patriotic songs raise up goose bumps.

But the true spirit of the holiday might more easily be found in places like Lakewood or Oak Cliff, where neighbors gathered Saturday morning, groups like the Boy Scouts marched and kids scooted to the curbs, waving tiny flags as each float passed by.

In the Lakewood area of Dallas, a meandering parade with a little something for everyone has been the centerpiece for the Fourth for almost five decades.

Lawn chairs of shiny plastic and faded teak covered the grass between sidewalk and curb on Lakewood Boulevard, front-row seating for the biggest show in town. Friends called out greetings. Kids flocked to inflatable slides and bounce houses. Panting pups stretched out on the soft grass.

Four-year-old Chase Crawford, in a red T-shirt with a flag on the front, paused to take it all in.

"This is awesome!" he said.

Around the corner, the line of march formed – homemade floats, children on go-carts, Little League teams and high school cheerleaders, and enough vintage cars to carry you back 50 years.

Emet Schneiderman stood next to his blue 1953 Studebaker Commander, a cousin to the car his parents owned when he was a boy.

"When I was about 2, my older brother and I were fighting in the back seat and my mother turned around to scold us," Schneiderman said, recounting an event that ended with a crash and young Emet bouncing off the windshield.

The bumps forgotten, he remained a fan of Studebakers and bought his 15 years ago.

When his daughter was younger, they were regular participants in the parade. This year, Schneiderman and the Studebaker were back.

Nearby, Jody Vance slid behind the wheel of his dad's 1958 Jeep, painted in traditional Army drab, for his first foray in the parade, though having grown up nearby, he'd watched it more than once.

But this was a new perspective, he said. "I'm amazed at the turnout."

Across town, in tiny Ross Park in Oak Cliff, a goodly crowd of residents and more than a dozen dogs from the Kessler Plaza and Ravinia Heights neighborhoods built their own holiday tradition with their fourth Independence Day parade.

Nola Rae Smith, one of the organizers, called for military veterans to identify themselves, then led a prayer for patriots past and present: "May we always be grateful."

The vets then led a slow march around the park, with many marchers holding plastic flags and pinwheels.

"People like to be together not only as neighbors but as citizens," said Susan Walker, another organizer. "And to recognize that we are blessed with the freedoms we have and we probably sometimes take for granted."

Gene Kriska was pleased with the crowd.

"This is our fourth year," he said. "I think the word is getting out."

Staff writer Roy Appleton contributed to this report.