For nearly three decades, the city of Ames hasn’t held a parade in celebration of U.S. independence.

This year, six people helped bring it back.

At 1 p.m. Sunday, the first Fourth of July parade Ames has seen since the 1970s will take place on Main Street.

“Now we can return Ames to having an old-fashioned, flag-waving Fourth of July parade like every community needs,” said Darryl Bennett, co-organizer of the parade.

The last traditional Fourth of July parade in Ames was held by the Ames Jaycees for the city’s bicentennial celebration in 1976, Bennett said.

Ames has not had an annual Fourth of July parade since 1964, he said.

In the late ’90s, a virtual Fourth of July parade was tested out on Main Street, where passers-by could walk past exhibits set up along the length of the street. This parade was held in conjunction with the Ames Gingko Festival, which “celebrated” the smelly berries of the trees that lined Main Street.

“It was sort of a parade in reverse,” he said. “It was neat conceptually, but I guess it didn’t go so well.”

Bennett, publisher of the Ames Bulletin Board, said he is organizing the parade with five other people, and all six are participants in the Leadership Ames program sponsored by the Ames Chamber of Commerce. Leadership Ames is an eight-month program that helps people who want to become community leaders gain a better sense of civic leadership responsibilities and opportunities.

As a final project for the program, Stacy Dreyer, co-organizer of the parade and administrative assistant at Wells Fargo, said Bennett came up with the idea to have a parade on the Fourth of July. She said the rest of the group thought it was a great idea and went to work.

“We had no advertising budget, so it’s mostly been just word of mouth,” she said.

“We’re really excited about it … it’s amazing what you can do by just coming up with an idea and doing it.”

Bill Cahill, co-organizer of the parade, said the parade has 55 entries.

“Even Scooby Doo will be driving a 1968 Volkswagen Bug in the parade, running for president in 2004,” he said. “There will be lots of traditional entries, as well, with old cars and city vehicles.”

Bennett said Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco, ISU President Gregory Geoffroy, ISU mascot Cy and other local celebrities will be in the parade. And, Bennett said, almost every entry in the parade wanted to throw candy.

“There will be more candy handed out at this parade than in any other parade in Ames history,” he said.

Farwell Brown, official Ames historian, will be the parade’s grand marshal. He said he is proud to lead the parade and have his wife ride with him.