Sandpoint, ID

My favorite holiday is the 4th of July, and I could think of no better way to spend the morning than watching the annual Parade. It weaves all through downtown, so there were plenty of places to sit and watch the festivities. We got there about 45 minutes early, which turned out to be great, because we ended up with an ideal spot to watch. We chose Farmin Park, across from Wells Fargo, so there was shade, and more importantly, a place for my 6 year old to play while we waited for it to start. It started at 10 (and it actually started on time!) and lasted a full hour and a half. It was probably the longest parade I’ve been too, and I regretted not bringing chairs. We just sat on a blanket on the curb, and after an hour, we were very sore. Next year, we will bring a chair and leave really early again.

The parade had such a variety of floats and marchers. The theme this year was “United we Stand”, so most of the floats were patriotic in nature, for which I was very grateful. It reminded me of why we celebrate Independence Day. It started off with veterans marching the colors, which was a stirring sight for all. Then all the police and firefighters followed. My son loved it when they honked their horns and made the sirens go. Then came the military vehicles, with local soldiers driving.

After that the exact order becomes a blur, but there were local business advertising, the high school dance team strutting their stuff, a local band performing (I’ve made it a point to get tickets to one of their shows), local charity organizations, classic cars, bagpipe bands, a marching band made of community members, and so much more.

My son was so excited to see all the different floats, and I must say I was pretty excited myself. All in all, this was a fun event for the family, and I will make sure we go back next year. The only disappointment of the day was the parade participants weren’t allowed to throw candy. I remember that as one of my favorite parts of parades as a child, and was sad that my son won’t get to enjoy that like I did growing up.
The parade route seems to change every year (or maybe I just think so because I don’t pay too much attention), but if you go to www.sandpointonline.com, the route is listed, along with the time. My biggest suggestion would be to get to your ideal spot early and bring a chair. And if possible, walk or ride your bike, because traffic is impossible due to the road closures. Also bring plenty of water, because it was HOT! Happy Independence Day!