Firecracker 4th

WASILLA — Jake and Nicole Dagostino arrived early and prepared.

With their parents tagging along, Jake, 7, and Nicole, 5, staked out prime patch of curb Saturday to watch the annual Fourth of July Parade snake through downtown Wasilla. Placed neatly in front of each was a medium-sized box to collect candy and other goodies from the passing floats.

“They were coming prepared, that’s for sure,” said mom Peggi Dagostino. “And you can’t beat the weather. It’s really nice out.”

Mother Nature again smiled on Wasilla on Fourth of July, said Bruce Urban, the city’s recreation manager. Spectators at this year’s event watched the 59 parade entries in mild temperatures in the mid-60s with a slight breeze.

“It’s a great day,” Urban said. “It never rains on Wasilla’s parade.”

While celebrating the 233rd birthday of the United States of America, many of the entries in the Independence Day parade also highlighted 2009 being the 50th anniversary of Alaska statehood. The Palmer Elks used the theme to mark historical highlights of the past half century, including the Iditarod Sled Dog Race and Alaska’s vast wilderness preserves. Following close behind was an energetic Bob Mills of B. Original Signs. Mills modified a 1966 Volkswagen van into a statehood mobile, painted red with blue highlights, including a listing of all the governors through Wasilla native Gov. Sarah Palin. Following Friday’s surprise announcement that Palin would resign as governor, Mills quipped that he may soon have to add a new name to the side of his VW van.

“I thought to honor statehood and the pioneers too,” Mills said. “Those are the people who paid their dues.”

Those

Church of the Rock in Wasilla kicked off the show with upbeat music from “Jesus Rocks,” playing a Christian version of Queen’s hard-driving hit “We Will Rock You.”

Right behind Mills and Church of the Rock was the neon pink float sponsored by Beehive Beauty Shop. Although he helped with the pink balloons that decorate the float, 6-year-old North Brubaker said he didn’t want to be anywhere near it during the parade. With all the pink, it was “too girly” for him.

If the pink wasn’t manly enough for Brubaker, the loud engines of area fire departments filled the bill.

Trinity Lutheran Church entertained with a choir singing “America the Beautiful,” while the Army National Guard’s heavy trucks were a hit with the children. Trailing behind the Mat-Su Steelers’ float was a team of youngsters lining up and running plays in the street. Following a bubble-blowing champagne bottle was the lithe and limber ensemble from Denali Gymnastics, some walking parts of the parade route on their hands.

Breaking from tradition, Piccolino’s restaurant choose not to throw candy for the kids lining the streets downtown. Instead, restaurant workers and volunteers hustled around handing out free samples of salad, pizza and breadsticks.

Although salad and pizza in a Fourth of July parade was something new to many, it didn’t change Justin Brnadon’s plans for spending the rest of his Independence Day.

“I think I’ll go home, have a barbecue and have some cold beers,” he said. “Then, maybe shoot off some fireworks.”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.