Valdez 4th of July Parade and Fairbanks Street Block Party

Definitely a step back into a gentler time. There is something about a town where every inhabitant can be on one street at one time. 

The weather wasn't great, BUT it didn't rain. As I write this it is getting clearer so there's still hope for the canoe jousting! Lots of raffles - one of the favorites ...

The tent was sponsored by the NRA of course. I heard the man in the tent say, "You can kill a moose with this baby without ever leaving your house". Considering all the snow they get in Valdez, that might be a good thing.


The parade kicked off with a heartfelt rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" sung by two women from town. All hats were off and all hearts were covered.

                               and now for the parade...........

 The US flag-bearer is Trevor Hawkins, son of the veterinarians who hired Jeff.

 The man below is our local bird rehabilitator (and owner of the rooftop hot tub) - he is also a fan of martial arts

                              Two very clever and coordinated (!) kids -

                                              the bikers .........

                     of course all the participants threw candy for the kids.

and just when you thought the parade was over, here is the Valdez Remote Control Bomb Disposal Unit. Doesn't every town of 4500 have one?

Food, of course played a big part of the party. There was the usual fare -
Fried Dough, Bratwurst, Hot Dogs, Reindeer Burgers, and a very clever thing called a Walking Taco. Take a bag of chips, open it up, add taco meat, cheese, lettuce, salsa and sour cream. Voila! A Walking Taco.

Stay tuned for the 2nd half of the days' activities - Canoe Jousting, Free Community Picnic, USCG Cutter Tours, Live Entertainment by "3 Below Bluegrass", "Susan Judd", & "The Miller Sisters", Bonfire & S'More Roast and the Fireworks at 10:30 PM. They should be interesting considering how light it is at that time.