Family, friends, food and fun on the fourth

WILLOW — Community members from throughout the small town of Willow and beyond lined McKinley Way for an Independence Day parade Wednesday.

Public servants, police officers, firefighters, emergency responders, a parade band, political candidates, and a thicket of others followed the route past the post office, down the bike path to the Willow Community Center where a free picnic was organized by the Willow Area Community Organization.

Families and friends gathered on the lakeshore on a bright and beautiful day to celebrate the independence of these United States.

“Isn’t that what America is all about helping your neighbors and spending time with your neighbors and building community and getting to know them? That helps me feel patriotic,” Teri Petram said.

Petram ran one of two large grills. Hundreds of community members socialized while they waited nearly an hour in line for a plate of food. Some cooled off in the lake, and children ran rampant on the nearby playground equipment.

Petram was born and raised in Willow, graduated from Susitna Valley High School, and returned from Arizona when her parents home burned in a recent fire. She was amazed at how such a small community supported her family. Petram had no extravagant plans after serving her community on Independence Day.

“Clean up and take down,” she laughed.

On a national holiday, residents of Willow offered a remarkable amount of service. Volunteers worked the grills as hungry parade watchers waited for their plate with potluck staples like pasta salad, potato salad, chips, a burger or hot dog, and a smorgasbord of homemade desserts. Community Emergency Response Team members in green vests lined the parade and the picnic in case of emergency. Families from around the Valley made appearances in Willow. The Delph’s of Wasilla came to watch their son play trombone in the parade band. Becky, Sean, Michael and Alexandria came to watch the parade and planned to continue celebrating their independence with a picnic and fireworks in Wasilla later in the evening.

William Delph, who has played the trombone for a decade, says that he enjoys playing in the parade.

“It makes me happy,” said Delph.

Delph did lament in the lack of trombone parts in musical arrangements, wishing he could blow his horn for the whole length of the parade.

Bandmate Gabe Bailey was also playing in his first Willow Independence Day parade. A veteran of the military, Bailey has been playing the sousaphone on and off for two decades. He was recruited by a member of the Mat-Su Concert Band that he normally plays with to spend his Independence Day playing for the parade.

“It’s glorious,” said Bailey. “I love this country, I was in the military, I think it’s a great day to celebrate our freedom.”

Willow royalty, King Mark Merrill and Queen Dagmar Hess, elected at the Willow Winter Carnival, also made appearances during the parade and picnic. They were on a float pulled by an old John Deere tractor near the back of the parade. They then mingled with their loyal subjects during the community picnic, thanking veterans and volunteers who helped to put the parade and picnic on.

“When food is there, the whole Willow is here,” said Hess. “My husband is. Twenty-two years he was in the Air Force, so yes we know what 4th of July means that we have it free. We all celebrate together and everybody comes out and it’s just like I said people in Willow, they are really excited! It gets bigger and bigger every year. It helps when it is sunny.”

Merrill moved to the Valley in 1955, served in the military, and thanked all those who helped put on the picnic and parade.

“It’s a special day.”

Contact Frontiersman reporter Tim Rockey at tim.rockey@frontiersman.com.