The annual Fourth of July parade and fireworks show organized by Celebrate Kirkland has become tradition for many families during the past 13 years. Thanks to some hardworking volunteers, and donations from some of Kirkland’s biggest businesses, that tradition will continue.
“Almost an entire generation of children have had Kirkland’s Fourth of July as a serious part of their childhood,” said event organizing chair and Kirkland City Councilwoman Penny Sweet. “These kids are the ones who will require that their own kids have the same kind of experience, wherever they are.”
The events will begin at 11:30 a.m. with the annual kids’ parade, where Kirkland youth are invited to participate along the parade route. The experience is a celebration of pride in country. But the Kirkland parade is also a celebration of military veterans.
“(The parade will have) the biggest contingent of veterans in any parade (in the Puget Sound area),” boasts a prideful Sweet.
In its current form, the parade has only been around for a little more than a decade but the tradition has been around for a long time in Kirkland.
“Prior to the birth of the city parade, longtime Kirkland resident, Mel Hogsett organized a 7th Avenue West parade for kids,” said Maureen Baskin, who is the chair of the veterans’ events for the parade. “Although Mel is no longer with us, I know he would be delighted to see how that parade has grown and now leads the bigger city parade every Fourth of July. During the first Kirkland City parade in 2000, we gathered the kids at the tennis courts on Market Street, who were on bikes, skateboards, in costume, strollers, etc. and it was a wonderful beginning to what we know now as the Celebrate Kirkland Fourth of July Parade.”
Baskin said she participated in the first kids parade and walked with a sign that read “Proud daughter of a Korean War veteran.”
“There were no other visible signs of veterans in our parade,” said Baskin. “And that was the spark that started in my heart to help encourage veterans to be a part of our parade in 2001.”
One of those veterans who has been in the parade every year is Joe Regan, who died in March. The veterans’ part of the parade this year will be dedicated to Regan.
“He was an airman and WWII POW, liberated by General George Patton on April 29, 1945 from Stalag 7A,” said Baskin. “… Each of us has a story. Each veteran has a story. Let them be a part of yours by celebrating the Fourth of July in Kirkland.”
The parade begins at Heritage Park and goes north on Central Way, south on Main Street, east on Kirkland Avenue to Marina Park and back to Heritage Park. The theme this year is “Celebrating our Diversity” with The Rainbow City Band acting as Grand Marshall.
“(They have) been in every parade since we started, not only as a participant, but to entertain and start the kid’s parade as well,” said Sweet. “This year, as they did last year, they will be in the parade twice.”
Celebrate Kirkland officially has 75 participants for the parade and expects that number to reach 90. Some of the entrants are celebrating anniversaries, such as Lee Johnson Chevrolet’s 75th, Overlake Oil’s 65th and Honda of Kirkland’s 20th anniversary.
One thing that will be missing this year is the Rotary Club of Kirkland’s annual Duck Dash. The Rotary has elected to move its biggest fund raiser of the year to Kirkland Summerfest, which will be held Aug. 11. Duck Dash organizers are moving the event in order to have more time to fund raise and so members can spend the Fourth of July with their families.
For those families and residents who plan to attend the public fireworks display, Sweet has one recommendation – walk.
“It’s really good for you and the walk home on the Fourth of July is absolutely spectacular,” said Sweet.
The fireworks show will be held just off of Marina Park in Lake Washington and is visible from most Kirkland waterfront parks. The event is produced by Western Fireworks, starts at 10:15 p.m. and will last approximately 20 minutes.
The fireworks display has become even more important as personal fireworks are illegal in the City of Kirkland. That ban was imposed on the newest Kirkland neighborhoods to the north, including Finn Hill, North Juanita and Kingsgate, following annexation last year.
Anyone observing non-emergency violations of the fireworks ban should contact police at (425) 577-5656.
The public fireworks make up most of the approximately $61,000 that was raised for the day’s events.
The largest single donation this year came from Lee Johnson Chevrolet at $12,000. The car dealer also pledged to match up to $10,000 in contributions. With the downturn in the economy during the past few years, fund raising has been difficult, said Sweet. This year was tough as well.
“Fund raising started very slowly this year but finished on target,” said Sweet. “It was a very different combination of donors and far less individual donors. But God bless our business community for stepping up big time.”
Fairfax and The City of Kirkland helped to push the fund raising past the finish line. Sterling Bank, Waste Management, Wave Broadband, Astronics, the Heathman Hotel, The Grape Choice, Overlake Oil, Ford of Kirkland, Honda of Kirkland, Touchstone, the Woodmark Hotel and The Kirkland Rotary Clubs all made donations.
Donations are expected to surpass the original budget and any extra money will go towards the fireworks show.
Celebrate Kirkland begins planning for the event months in advance.
“After 12 years, we have it down to a recipe,” said Sweet. “The chair starts working on it in February. The committee starts working in April. About 1,000 hours later we have a Fourth of July.”
More information
For information, visit celebratekirkland.org.
