Serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis. © James Conner.
It was a long parade, with many colorful entries. My colleague shot 56 minutes of HD video. I shot over 750 unique still images, a few of which are below.
As usual, there were no marching bands. Neither Flathead nor Glacier High School thinks celebrating Independence Day is an event important enough to deign provide a band playing patriotic music. Fortunately, the Flathead Democrats provided a trio that played Yankee Doodle. Strange, isn’t it, that Democrats support public education, but public schools don’t support Independence Day. Given how hard passing levies has become, one would think the schools would take every opportunity to show as much community spirit as possible. Instead, their contribution to Kalispell’s Independence Day parade is silence.
Under a blue marble sky, spectators wait for the parade to begin.
A motorcycle policeman leads the parade.
The color guard.
A handsomely restored LaFrance fire engine led the Flathead Republicans up Main.
County commissioner candidate Phil Mitchell marching along the Philmobile, sporting a hat that would have made P.T. Barnum proud.
The Skyesmobile hauls Daines’ message. Sykes owner Ray Thompson also provided at least one WWII warbird, a Corsair, for several flyovers.
Thompson’s Corsair is the blue, gull-winged aircraft. The yellow aircraft may be a Japanese Zero. The thunder of their powerful radial engines was impressive.
House District 7 (old downtown Kalispell) candidate, and former Kalispell police chief, Frank Garner.
A candy thrower bringing up the Republican rear hurls wrapped candy at the crowd. In the Bigfork parade, as the Flathead GOP reminded its parade participants a couple of days before the parade (I have a copy of the email), throwing candy is prohibited; candy throwers get banned from future parades. This woman was having too much fun to give much of a damn about safety.
Joan Ehrenberg leads the Flathead Democrats.
County commissioner candidate Stacy Schnebel waves to the crowd.
Mike Fellows, candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives on the Libertarian Party ticket. Fellows has marched in many a parade and run in many an election.
Where there are Northwest Patriots, there are flags.
Note how far out in the street the candy collecting children are. Insofar as I could determine, there were no crowd marshals to keep spectators closer to the sidewalk — and no parents who worried that their children might be taking foolish risks.
Black powder, blue smoke, and one blue eye. The muzzle loaders were colorful — and loud.
Last float, relaxed riders.