SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Zoo celebrated the nation's birthday with a parade featuring a character dressed up as Uncle Sam holding an opossum and a bevy of decorated strollers and wagons.
Before the parade started, participants Leah Carabajal and Rachel Pfeiffer made last-minute adjustments to the wagon their daughters were in.
Before arriving at the zoo, they made sure there was going to be no shortage of stars and stripes at the zoo.
"Oh, we basically just went to the dollar store and picked out everything that was left," Carabajal said.
Carabajal's daughter, 18-month-old Adah, and Pfeiffer's daughter,3-year-old Lydia, were decked out in red, white and blue in their wagon, complete with a fan and a baby doll.
Pfeiffer said this was a great way to celebrate summer's biggest holiday.
"I just think it's great that they have this for the kids and at the zoo, which is so much fun," Pfeiffer said. "Just to get together and celebrate the Fourth of July."
And with a blast of patriotic music, the parade was off, Uncle Sam and his trusty sidekick Pierre the opossum leading the way.
Parade participant Yvonne Boyer took the patriotic theme to the extreme, wearing a red white and blue wig.
"It's part of my daily wardrobe, actually," Boyer joked. "We're enjoying the zoo, the red, white and zoo and just having a great time out here."
She had children named Kailah and Hannah dressed up in red, white and blue, as well as little Julie Anna in the stroller.
Beth Miller brought her 6-month-old granddaughter Willow to see the zoo's celebration, along with Aunt Peggy from Louisiana.
"It's fun," Miller said. "It's fun. Anytime to come out and show your patriotic spirit, so we're having a great time."
At the end of the parade, all kids got a goodie bag that included a zoo sticker, a coupon for ice cream and some fish food.