Michael Masters and his nephew play with snaps on Pine Street in Wallowa on Monday, July 4, 2022.

WALLOWA — Gray skies clouded East First Street in Wallowa just moments before the town’s annual Fourth of July Parade was set to begin, with onlookers sporting long sleeves and umbrellas in case of the downpour. 

But right before the scheduled start, the sun crept out into the sky and shone to create the perfect setting for this celebration of freedom.

American flags of all sizes flapping in the light wind, lawn chairs and cars lined up on each side of the street with eager spectators. Trucker caps, cowboy hats, bikes and motorcycles all around the downtown. The attention shifted to the start of the parade as two men walking down the road holding the nations colors and those of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4307 in Enterprise as the cheering began from onlookers.

Roger Curtis, owner of Three Bears Towing in Wallowa, explained that recognizing veterans is what the Independence Day means to him.

“It’s (for) the people who have given everything for our country,” he said.

As the parade began to kick off, one of the first attractions was the “Grammie” marshal of the parade Ruby Frazier rolling through in a drop top 1968 blue Corvette. She kept gently waving above the windshield to the spectators, both family and friends. 

Various golf carts, ATVs, and tractors decked out head to toe in red, white and blue started down the road and began to throw out candy as eager kids swarmed to the side of the road to snag a loose Tootsie Roll or lollipop. 

This seems to be something that the adults enjoy as well, as Michael Masters from Bend, who was watching the parade with his nieces and nephews mentioned.

“It’s fun to point out the cars and watch the kids get the candy,” he said. “It’s a good thing to hang out with family.”

Just two years ago, the parade was unofficially run after being canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, even though the streets were lined with chairs, Laura Ledgett, who took part in the 2020 parade, believed the turnout wasn’t the best they’d ever seen.

“It was smaller than usual, I think because of the weather,” she added. “But it still give me goosebumps.”

Others like Cole Grants from Enterprise were a little more shocked by the turnout.

“Was surprised so many people showed up,” he said.

The parade kept rolling on with classic cars, horses, motorcycles and even Smokey Bear made an appearance on top of a U.S. Forest Service fire truck. 

Sarah Franke sat outside of her house in Wallowa to watch the festivities and recollected one of her favorite memories from this point during a parade in the past.

“My dad being Smokey the Bear,” she remembered.

While most people in Wallowa were celebrating their freedoms during the parade, Pine Street was decked out with tents that featured vendors looking to sell various products. Some of these products included soaps, ice cream and wooden chairs. 

For Roger Curtis, who was selling rope products for various trucks for the first time at the parade, business went well but he wasn’t just there to sell his product. 

“A lot of it is I’m just getting people to see my products,” Curtis said. “Half the people that talk to me they’ve seen them online, they’ve seen them on YouTube, but they’ve never seen them in person.”

The parade continued to feature fire trucks, revving cars and trucks to the dismay of some of the sensitive listeners in the crowd, and a float that previewed the Tamkaliks celebration at the end of this month from the Wallowa Band of the Nez Perce Tribe.

But after almost an hour of candy, cheers and cars burning rubber, every part of the parade had turned left onto North Storie Street, and the parade came to a close. 

Viewers and their families packed up their chairs, others went to the Wallowa Fire Department building for food and live music, while those who had enough went back home. Just like that, another parade year was in the books.

For those spectating at the annual Wallowa County Fourth of July Parade this year, some think the Fourth of July means hanging out and having a good time, others see it as a time to honor those who have served our country, certain folks think it means freedom.

Wayne Larson from Aloha thinks that the holiday which recognizes the day in which the founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence carries with it a simple message. 

“It makes me proud to be an American,” he said.