People in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs celebrated the Fourth of July today.

Grills were going and tens set up for music and the fireworks on the lakefront in Evanston where the theme was the “Fourth Awakens.”

Thousands lined Central Street to see nearly one hundred entries in the parade.

Elsewhere in Chicagoland, the politicians were out in full force for in this election year.

The race for the U.S. senate is one of the closest in the country and today it was being fought along parade routes from Wheaton to Wilmette.

Republican Mark Kirk hopes his resilience will resonate with the voters.  While Democrat Tammy Duckworth was making the case that she will fight for the middle class.

But many say in this contentious political year, they wanted to set politics aside and have some fun.