July 4 – Druid Hills Style

Lenox, Downtown, Stone Mountain and Decatur all have their appeal, but for Druid Hills patriots, there’s no reason to leave the neighborhood to celebrate America’s birthday.

For nearly 40 years, at 11 a.m. on the morning of July 4, a band of strollers and bikes and impromptu musicians gathers at the corner of The By Way and Oakdale Road for a parade from The By Way to Springdale to North Decatur Road to Oakdale and back to The By Way, where neighbors usually have cool lemonade and refreshments waiting and contest prizes for best costumes and best-decorated bikes.

“By the time they make it back around, it’s usually pretty hot,” said neighbor Russell Currey. “It’s great fun to get everybody out on the street. When you live in a neighborhood like this, where the lots are big and houses far from the street, it’s hard to get to know your neighbors. So I think this is a nice way for everybody to get out and see one another. It’s it’s always a nice thing.”

For ’cue and stew, head over to the corner of Briarcliff and Clifton Roads at Sage Hill, to the newly opened Pig-N-Chik.

“We'll be opening at our regular time, at 10:30 a.m. and staying open till 10 p.m. That’s plenty of time for people to pick up their July 4 spread. It’s our busiest day of the year,” says manager Rick Cooper.

He estimated that it’s nearly twice as busy as a normal day, mostly takeout, advising that customers call ahead, especially if they want to place large orders.

Come dusk, fireworks will be shown over the course at Druid Hills Golf Club at the corner of Clifton Road and Ponce de Leon Avenue. The show is “members only,” says the lady who answers the phone, but the show will be easily visible from the parking lot of Fernbank Natural History Museum, where neighbors often spread out on the lawn and enjoy.

To get that Lenox feel, tune in to WSB radio and sit really close to your neighbors.