PORT ANGELES — The young, the old and the young at heart all had a reason to smile during the Independence Day celebration at City Pier on Saturday.
The smell of hot dogs on the grill, the sound of live music, and the sights of friendly faces each contributed to a pleasant ambience before the main events — the parade downtown, the community photograph and the fireworks display near Francis Street Park.
“I like the variety of people,” said Nancy Johns while listening to the Voodoo Mountain String Band play at the pier.
“Everyone is enjoying what’s going on. It’s a very comfortable atmosphere.”
The celebration, sponsored by Sunset Do It Best Hardware, began at 3 p.m. when the sun was still high in the sky.
Seventeen vendors, from solar yard art to political groups, shared the parking lot with a large inflated slide and obstacle course for the kids.
Six-year-old Bailey Webber was all smiles when she described what she liked about the slide.
“I like it because you can jump on it,” she said, as she bounced up and down.
Her grandmother, Christy Webber, said they had spent their whole day downtown celebrating the Fourth of July.
“The people are friendly,” she said. “It’s great.”
John Katte of Sequim said he came to enjoy the sunshine, the view and the music.
“It’s a beautiful day and a beautiful area,” he said.
“It’s a small town atmosphere,” he added.
Record number of entries
The celebration on the pier preceded the Kitsap Bank parade through downtown, which one of the organizers said had a record number of entries this year.
Harbir Bower, vice president of the Kitsap Bank location in Port Angeles, said that number reached 91, which tops last year’s total of 75.
“I just think people just want to enjoy a parade,” she said Friday, when asked about the record.
The parade was led the Coast Guard color guard, which were followed by its grand marshals, the staff of the MV Coho ferry.
For the third year in a row, the neighbors to the north were represented in the parade by the Victoria Police Department’s pipe band.
And for the fourth time, the staff of Kitsap Bank, which has sponsored the parade since 2002, also joined the parade with their drill team.
“It’s just a great opportunity to serve,” Bower said. “Our staff here loves to do it.”
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
