KINGSTON — This year’s Independence Day celebration in the Little City by the Sea had something for everyone, including candy for the kids, music for all ages and a legendary clown who had everyone busting a gut.

To start the Fourth of July afternoon, North Kitsap Fire & Rescue’s Blaze the fire dog headed up the annual parade as this year’s surprise grand marshal.

Sitting atop one of the NKF&R trucks, Kingston’s famous top dog led everyone who was anyone down Highway 104 during Washington state’s longest running Independence Day parade, including nearly every politician running for office in Kitsap County.

“This is turning into a political parade,” one spectator commented as one of nearly a dozen candidates drove by.

“Well, it is an election year,” someone replied.

“Yeah, but this is crazy,” the spectator quipped.

While adults in the crowd booed or cheered on the candidates, kids kept their eyes glued to the floats for candy. They had no qualms about grabbing as much as they could, however, there were a few that shared with the smaller kids who weren’t as fast.

“Oh my gosh, we have like a pound and a half,” said mom Jennifer Salazar of Kingston.

After the parade, Tiny Town at Kola Kole Park ran amuck with both kids and adults. As the clouds started to burn off and the day started to heat up, several adults found the dunk tank to be a refreshing way to cool off.

“This is the first time I’ve been to the dunk tank — I’ll be back,” said Victor Turrieta of Kingston. Turrieta said he and his friends attend the parade every year but have found hanging out in Tiny Town to be fun, too.

“I just love it with the kids,” he said, after being dunked several times.

Parades and festivals also include certain people that most girls dream of meeting.

“The princesses,” said 5-year-old Hannah Niemeyer of Seattle about her favorite part of the parade. She got to meet and hug Miss Kingston Princess Kayla Tippie afterward at Tiny Town. “They have pretty dresses.”

While kids had regal meetings, adults got to spend time with an icon of their own generation — J.P. Patches. The legendary Northwest clown took the stage at Mike Wallace Memorial Park for an hour during the Kingston Fourth of July Music Festival, teasing the children and joking with the older crowd.

Kingston’s Joe Beaulieu and Belfair’s Irma Jacob were just a few of the many victims of Patches’ jokes.

“I was honored, I’ve been waiting 40 years for this,” Beaulieu said.

Beaulieu and Jacob participated in “Simon Says,” in which Patches directed the two to give each other a big hug, although the crowd was anticipating a kiss.

“I was ready to give her a big smacker,” Beaulieu said with a laugh. “Even though two-thirds of the crowd knows me, I think it would have been OK.”

Sean Stuart, 12, of Poulsbo had never heard of the clown but wound up on stage, participating in and winning the hula hooping contest.

“I’m kind of good at hula hooping,” he said “I thought you could win.”