Hayden's pride
<p>Brother and sister Allison, 5, and Ben Radka, 6, enjoy their ice cream together at Hayden City Park during the Hayden Days event.</p>
<p>As the “Hayden’s Got Talent” Show comes to an end, Joan Gabrielson looks to vote for her favorite performance Saturday during Hayden Days.</p>
<p>Matt Johnstun examines a table of a vendor’s various items during Hayden Days Saturday.</p>
HAYDEN - She may live in Osburn, but Sally Holtz has Hayden pride.
The former Red Hot Mama made the 50-mile trek to say "happy birthday" to Hayden and honor American heroes Saturday morning as she walked in the annual Hayden Days Parade. She wore a larger-than-life patriotic birthday cake hat and flowing gown accented with red, white and blue as she sweetly smiled and waved at spectators.
"I'm wearing the birthday cake in honor of Hayden's 60th birthday and I'm wearing our country's colors in honor of the veterans, anybody who served, past or present," she said. "My husband helped me with the hat. The (Sixth Street) Melodrama in Wallace had a yard sale and I got this old wedding dress and I shortened the sleeves, I put the neck down and added the ruffles and trim."
Parade judges were impressed with Holtz's civic and national pride as well, because they presented her with the first-place "Supreme Theme" award.
"It was fun," she said, smiling.
Hayden celebrated its 60-year milestone and Military Appreciation Day in style this weekend with festivities galore. Friday's schedule featured children's games and live music performances in Hayden City Park and the fun spilled over to Saturday, which began with the parade and continued all day with live music, crafts, food vendors, merchant booths and even more entertainment for kids.
People gathered along Government Way to watch the 39 parade entries walk, march, flip, or roll south from Hayden Avenue to Honeysuckle Avenue. Mel and Mary Jo Friesz, who have been married 49 years, watched the parade from camping chairs.
"It was one of the best ones ever," Mary Jo said. "They had so many nice entries."
"I loved it," Mel said. "We like any kind of parade."
The proud grandparents were especially happy to see their baseball star grandson, Trevor Cogley, 10, of Hayden, walk in the parade with the Hayden Little League.
"He went to Cincinnati for the Pitch, Hit and Run (National Finals) and he came in third in the nation," Mel said. "This is amazing because 625,000 kids go out for Pitch, Hit and Run every year throughout the United States and he came in third for 10-year-old boys."
Hayden All-Stars players A.J. Brendis and Andrew Stockham, both 11, enjoyed walking with their team in the parade, especially after recently becoming state champs.
"It felt like winning a million dollars," A.J. said of the victory.
Other parade entries included the Hayden Chamber of Commerce, the North Idaho College Young Democrats, Northern Lakes Fire, the Coeur d'Alene High School Dance Team, the Hayden Veterans Commission, the Hot Punch Highlanders, the Military Order of the Cootie of the United States and more.
Parade emcee Todd McLean of Coeur d'Alene said he was especially fond of those flipping and tumbling with Flip Factory Gymnastics.
"Both my kids are in it," he said.
This was his fifth year as parade announcer. He entertained the crowds with upbeat and sometimes comical music as the entries went by his booth.
"It's the community getting together for fun, fun, fun," he said. "What really amazes me about this festival is the Hayden's Got Talent Show that these guys have put together. It will blow your mind how much talent comes to this little community; it's awesome."