At the June 3 Pagosa Springs Town Council meeting, Parks and Recreation Director Darren Lewis informed the council that his staff had “determined that a walking parade would be the best course of action” for this year’s Fourth of July celebration at Yamaguchi Park.
Due to the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT’s) highway reconstruction project, the council decided on March 4 that it will forgo a traditional motorized parade for this year’s celebration, opting instead for a celebration at Yamaguchi Park that will lead into the annual fireworks display, fire danger permitting.
At that meeting, Mayor Shari Pierce said, “My heart wants us to have a parade for our community, but my head tells me it’s not really gonna be feasible because of the construction and traffic and lack of parking.”
Although the council decided on a stationary celebration at the park, some on the council hoped that some form of a parade could still happen.
“So, I feel like the motorized parade is off the table,” Pierce said, asking the council what it thought about a “stationary parade on 6th.”
She expressed that she hoped a small parade-like event could be organized for the youth, with Lewis suggesting that honoring “our veterans and first responders could be part of that,” saying that “town staff would come up with something.”
At the June 3 meeting, Lewis told the council that the walking parade would be called the “Stars and Stripes Stroll,” and it would honor veterans and first responders in the community.
He explained that the walking parade will take place about 3 p.m., about one hour prior to the live music starting at Yamaguchi Park and that the parade would last about 15 minutes.
An agenda document on the matter states that staff “will extend an invitation to families to walk behind our veterans and first responders around Yamaguchi Park.”
“This walking parade will not be an event to advertise, protest, or politicize your opinion but to encourage the celebration and recognize the sacrifices that have occurred for our independence,” the document states.
Lewis noted that this type of parade was determined to be “the best option” to avoid any road closures and that it would only take “limited staff,” three to five employees, to put it on.
“It would prevent any road closures that would occur by any type of rolling parade, and it would limit the amount of staff needed,” he said.
He added, “We want to get the community involved, tourists involved, everyone is welcome to walk behind these brave people to honor them.”
The parade will stage and start at the park’s restrooms and end at the music stage, taking the strolling parade most of the way around the park grounds, he explained.
“I appreciate you working this out for us,” Pierce said.
Council member Leonard Martinez asked, “Where are we on the fireworks?”
“As far as I know, it’s just weather permitting, so as we get closer we’ll see how we stand with things in regard to moisture and then ultimately a decision will be made,” Lewis responded.
derek@pagosasun.com
