The bikes and bands are ready to go as Towson prepares for its annual Fourth of July parade.

"I feel very comfortable," said parade committee chair Maryann Albaugh. "We've met our financial goal. We have our bands, we have our participants, so it should be a fantastic parade."

The parade kicks off at 10:30 a.m. next Wednesday. Former Tuskeegee Airmen Cyril Byron and Lemule Lewie, both Baltimore County residents, will serve as the parade's grand marshals.

This year's parade will draw tens of thousands to the streets of Towson. The parade route is the same as years past—participants will march from the intersection of Towsontown Boulevard and Bosley Avenue, then right on Allegheny Avenue and right on Washington Avenue, finishing just past the historic courthouse.

This year's parade will feature 14 bands, including the Calvert Hall College High School marching band and the 300-member Baltimore Marching Ravens.

"We have some that just come every year that just love coming back," Albaugh said, like the John F. Nicoll Pipe Band, based out of American Legion Post No. 22 in Towson.

And like every year, volunteers known as the "Bucket Brigade" will be out collecting bills and coins to help support the parade. Alternatively, you can give using the Paypal button on the parade's website.

The one thing that isn't returning this year is the Air National Guard flyover that normally launches each parade. Albaugh told Patch that the planes are deployed this year.

For more information on next Wednesday's festivities, check out the parade's website.

Where to sit

There are plenty of places along the parade route to plop down chairs and picnic blankets. If you want to sit in the shade, Albaugh recommends the east side of Bosley Avenue, most spots on Allegheny Avenue and Washington Avenue between Allegheny and Pennsylvania avenues.

The main reviewing stand in front of the historic courthouse on Washington Avenue is in the sun, but it will be the site of several performances.

Rush hour

Show up early for the parade's 15th annual Bike Rush. Bring bikes, strollers, wagons or anything with wheels to ride in and gather by 9:30 a.m. at the parking lot outside Towson University's Residence Tower (across the street from the Towson University Marriott Conference Hotel).

The Bike Rush will open the parade by riding the 1.4-mile route, which follows the parade path and ends up near the Towson police precinct on Susquehanna Avenue.

The event, sponsored by Trader Joe's, is free to participants of all ages. Kids under 6 who wish to ride in the Bike Rush must be accompanied by a parent.

Here's a schedule of events for the parade's kickoff: