Volunteers behind the scene of festivities

There’s a saying within chambers of commerce that volunteers are the people who make possible the things that others think just happen.

That's an apt description of Miranda Hamilton, who for the third year is the volunteer organizer of the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber’s Fourth of July Festival and Parade. While this is her third year at the helm, 2021 will be only her second parade to take to Sherman Avenue on the Fourth of July. Last year she spent months signing up vendors and parade entries only to have all Independence Day festivities in the Lake City canceled a week before due to the recommendation of Panhandle Health District amid COVID concerns.

Hamilton has made her home here since 2006 and has been a fan of the town’s legendary Fourth of July spectacular. When the opportunity to coordinate the parade and festival presented itself in 2019 the independent agent with Insurance Northwest said she didn't hesitate to say yes.

“The Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber of Commerce, its leadership and my fellow members have been a huge contributor to my success in the insurance industry,” she said. “This is a fun opportunity to give back to both the chamber and community.”

This year with July 4 falling on a Sunday, Amanda saw an opportunity to have a two-day festival by adding Saturday events at City Park. With the blessing of leadership at the chamber and the city of Coeur d’Alene, there will be music and entertainment, including kiddie carnival rides both days.

“I felt like this was important to our long-standing vendors who were shut out from so many events in 2020 to really benefit from an expanded family-friendly event,” Hamilton explained.

The parade on Sunday starts at 11 a.m. on Sherman Avenue at 15th Street and travels west through downtown. Hamilton said that spectator feedback after the 2019 parade is what precipitated a change this year to reduce the number of entries to 70, down from 90 to 100 in most years.

Volunteers from the Coeur Group will be out early Sunday morning helping to place the street barricades and the Kiwanis Club will again assist with registration, lining up the entries and as monitors along the parade route.

The judges will be in the reviewing stands next to the announcing booth between Second and Third streets. This writer will announce the parade for the 10th time in 11 years, with Scott Hough reprising his role as the roller skating man on the street.

Prior to the 11 a.m. parade start, Hough will lead spectators, young and old, in a street dance party and at 11 a.m. opera singer Brandon Michael of Coeur d’Alene will sing the national anthem.

From Gowen Field in Boise the Idaho Army National Guard 25th Army Band will appear in the parade this year, before performing a post-parade concert at City Park and the Idaho Potato Commission's Big Idaho Potato will make its first appearance in Coeur d’Alene’s Fourth of July parade.

Many of the most popular longtime crowd favorites, including the Perfection Nots, Red Hot Mamas and Blazen Divas, will make their way down the parade route.

Numerica and the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort are the festival and parade major sponsors.

“The success of the event is the coordinated efforts of the chamber and the city, the sponsors and the many volunteers,” Hamilton said. “From the parade to the fireworks over the lake it’s truly magical and makes me proud to call Coeur d’Alene home.”