When Independence Day rolls around in an election year, the Roll Call photojournalists head out to small towns in contested districts across the country to catch candidates and beauty queens marching in their local parades. This year I found myself at the Ripley, W.Va., Fourth of July parade billed as “The USA’s Largest Small Town Independence Day Celebration.”  

This is a collection of every frame I shot of the parade, most which never get filed or shown publicly. The music is a recording I captured on my iPhone of local musicians hanging out under a tree. Leo Enoch was on guitar and Leonard Whiting was on banjo.  

Have a look for yourself as Roll Call presents 623 photos of the parade in 69 seconds.