Fourth of July parade returns to Coeur d'Alene

Red, white and blue filled the streets Sunday morning along with crowds, music and dancing as Coeur d’Alene celebrated America’s 245th birthday after a pause in festivities last year due to COVID-19.

“There was no lack of enthusiasm from the crowd and in fact, we probably had more people out in the streets dancing before the parade,” Kerri Thoreson, parade announcer, said. “I think people were ready to dance in the streets and just celebrate.”

The parade opened with the National Anthem sung by Brandon Michael, a local who performs with the Inland Northwest Opera.

“He was wonderful,” Thoreson said. “He just nailed it.”

The two-hour-long march began around 11 a.m. at 15th and Sherman Avenue and went through downtown to Independence Point with many floats and marchers, opening with military and police force to celebrate the theme, American Heroes, and honor those who served the county and community.

“We love it,” Will Bozeman of Coeur d’Alene said. “Just the people, that’s the best part. They’re all showing the American support. That’s my favorite part.”

This year’s grand marshal was the late Duane Hagadone through a unanimous vote by the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce board.

“I want to thank the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber of Commerce for honoring Duane as Grand Marshall,” Lola Hagadone said. “He truly loved Coeur d’Alene. Duane always said to me what he did best for people was he made jobs. Today, he would be overwhelmed and humbled by the response of the community.”

Duane Hagadone served as chairman of the board twice as well as receiving the Citizen of the Year award in 1998. He died in April.

“He was such an icon in the community and has done so much to make Coeur d’Alene what it is today,” said Ann Thomas, Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber chair. “For us it was an easy choice and a good way to honor him.”

“We both have been blessed to have lived and worked in this beautiful community our entire lives,” wife Lola Hagadone said. “On behalf of the Hagadone family, we want to thank everyone for your outpouring of love and support for Duane.”

Cindy Thomas, a new Post Falls resident from Seattle, said this was her first time attending a Fourth of July Parade.

“This parade is just blowing it out of the water,” Thomas said. “It’s awesome. Everybody’s so friendly.”

Thomas said she wasn’t aware of any Fourth of July parades in Seattle, and when she moved to Coeur d’Alene in March to join family, the parade was one of the first events she heard about.

For Dick Boyle, a long-time Coeur d’Alene resident who attends that parade every year, the marching band is his favorite part.

“It never shows up,” Boyle said, laughing. “Once in a while here.”

Thoreson said the lack of marching bands is because there aren’t any high school bands meeting over the summer. However, her all-time favorite entry, The Perfection Nots, a group of high school students and community members of all ages, fill in by creating a community marching band who also dress up in fun costumes.

Art and Margie Grant, longtime Coeur d’Alene locals, said The Perfection Nots are also their favorite as they have kids and grandkids in the band.

“One guy just retired,” Art Grant said. “He was 90 years old and playing baritone in the parade.”

The Grants said they’ve attended or been a part of every Fourth of July parade in Coeur d’Alene they can remember.

“You can tell the economy by the parade,” Art Grant said. “We used to have logging trucks and fire trucks and police cars, now we got police cars and fire engines, no logging trucks.”

Changes over the years have brought different entries, including the debut of the big Idaho potato truck.

“First time ever in our Fourth of July parade and the crowds love it,” Thoreson said. “I don’t think there’s many communities anywhere in the country that do the fourth of July better than Coeur d’Alene.”