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 The
Lincoln Fire Department led the 9 a.m. parade with engine 5104
driven by firefighter Savannah Conrady. With a crowd of kids, adults
and dogs following steps behind, the firetruck traveled south on
Richland Avenue before making a right turn on Rhoads Avenue. The
crowd then took a right turn on Rutledge, waving to folks who had
gathered in lawn chairs along the route. Eventually, the parade took
another right turn back onto Richland Avenue and thus completed the
circle around Starkey Acres. As the group came full circle, they
congregated on the driveway of Craig and Denise Farnam and enjoyed
coffee, water, juice, and donuts.
This is a tradition that was started at least 35 years ago by Ron
and Marilyn Craig.
“It started when our son was very small,” said Marilyn Craig, who
was contacted on the phone following the parade by Erin Smith. “The
neighborhood was just so great, and we got to know a lot of the
people and a lot of them were younger families with lots of
children. The neighborhood was geographic for a good parade, you
know, to go up and down the streets. Ron reached out to all the
neighbors, and we decorated the streets, and everybody had to
decorate their bicycles, tricycles, and wagons. Then we all got
dressed up for the 4th of July and that’s how it started.”
Incidentally, the youngest participant in the parade this year was a
seven-week-old baby.
Another longtime neighbor, Diane Hunsley, recalled
that the parade used to start at the corner of Feldman Drive and
Richland Avenue, where the Craig’s lived. “Ivan Ray lived across the
street from the Craig’s, and he would dress up in a big 4th of July
outfit and lead the parade, along with the firetrucks and police
cars. Jean McKnight also organized the parade for a number of
years.”
By that time, the start of the parade had moved to
McKnight’s driveway at 1271 Richland Avenue, where the driveway was
bigger.
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“When the Farnam family moved
into Jean’s house, part of the deal was that they had to
continue it,” laughed Hunsley.
Denise Farnam was delighted to be home on this July 4th, as she
noted the past couple of years her family had been away
supporting daughter, Cara, on the softball field. This year,
Farnam enjoyed the parade with her entire family. Although even
during the years the Farnam’s were away at softball, the parade
continued to start from their house and the tent was always set
up with refreshments on their driveway.
“The parade has always been this little inner circle
and we’ve always just went the same way,” added Hunsley.
“It’s truly amazing we have been able to keep it up. There’s not
been too many years that we weren’t able to have it.”
Rain was the only thing that ever stopped the parade. Yes, not even
Covid deterred this group from a parade.
It’s obvious this is a neighborhood tradition that everyone looks
forward to on Independence Day. Just seeing the “old neighbors” chat
with each other and the “new neighbors” introducing themselves and
explaining which block they live on is something you just don’t see
everywhere.
This is the kind of interaction you only get in a small town.
[Teena Lowery]
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