by PAT MURDOCK

Wanted: Creative parents and their young offspring who like to play dress up and are fond of red, white and blue.

With San Marcos’ kid-friendly Summerfest Independence Day celebration less than a month away, organizers have issued the annual call for kids and costumes for the annual Summerfest Children’s Parade and patriotic costume contest.

The free community-wide Summerfest will be held at the City of San Marcos’ San Marcos Plaza Park this year. Food and activity booths will open at 4 p.m. A variety of food and other items will be available from on-site vendors.

The annual Children’s Parade is scheduled for 5 p.m. Line-up will begin at 4:45 p.m. Costumed kids will be judged in “most patriotic” and “cutest divisions” with prizes awarded in each category and a “best overall” named. The costume competition has been growing steadily over the last few years, according to Children’s Parade chair Renae Hill. It will be followed by a patriotic program and live music leading up to the 9:30 p.m. fireworks exhibition.

Summerfest is made possible by a partnership between the City of San Marcos, the San Marcos Noon Lions Club and a host of corporations, organizations and individuals. Serving their first year as co-chairs for Summerfest are San Marcos Parks and Recreation Department Recreation Manager Lisa Morris and San Marcos Convention and Visitor Bureau Director Rebecca Ybarra-Ramirez.

Parking for Summerfest will be available at Texas State’s Bobcat Stadium and Coliseum parking lots. The Lions Club’s tube rental at City Park will be open for business all day.

For general information on Summerfest, contact the San Marcos Parks and Recreation Department at (512) 393-8400 or the San Marcos Convention and Visitor Bureau at (512) 393-5900.