Vintage Car Procession Celebrates July Fourth in Southampton Village

Even though Southampton Village’s Fourth of July parade was technically canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some South Fork residents carried on the 100-year tradition with a vintage car parade through the village to mark the holiday.

A line consisting of approximately 80 vehicles, including antique cars, tractors, fire trucks, motorcycles and even a golf cart, drove down Main Street and Jobs Lane Saturday morning, starting at 10 a.m. Police and traffic control officers were ready and shut down the intersections to regular traffic.

The vintage car procession was privately organized by individuals on Facebook, according to Mayor Jesse Warren.

Some people waited with American Flags along the parade route, while others, like many sitting at sidewalk tables in front of restaurants, seemed surprise to see the procession. It did not take long for passersby to line the streets to view the parade. Most wore masks, though there were some, such as families, who did not.

The village’s Commission on Veterans Patriotic Events had canceled what would have been the 100th anniversary of the Fourth of July Parade. Instead, the commission put together a video montage of past film footage, photographs, and history of past parades, all to the tune of patriotic music, that as presented on SeaTV, LTV and Facebook.