GLADSTONE, Mich. (WZMQ) – On Thursday, much of Delta County came together to celebrate the Fourth of July in Gladstone.
In the morning, cyclists kicked off the holiday with the fifth annual Patriotic Pedal Parade.
“It started with 14 people and we continue to usually double that up until last year, and we’re mellowing out about 50 – 60 people,” said organizer Tom Nault. “We go along the highway, we pump our arms, and people honk their horns. It’s a really good feeling.”
The bike parade started at the Gladstone Armory, and participants rode roughly five miles. There were only a few rules—no politics and all cyclists had to display an American flag.
“This is important to me because of what it actually stands for—uniting the people together and doing something that is kind of out of the ordinary,” Nault said. “For me personally, it touches my heart.”
Later on, the community gathered for the Gladstone Fourth of July Parade through the city and leading to Van Cleve Park. Many attendees, like Carsyn and Owen LaBonte of Escanaba, make the parade part of their Independence Day celebration every year.
“It’s a tradition,” Carsyn said. “We usually come here for the Fourth. We get candy and it’s just fun to watch the cars go by. It’s a great day.”
Owen added, “It’s fun for everybody.”
Ava, a resident of Appleton, Wisconsin, came to town to celebrate with her grandparents. This was her first July 4th in Gladstone.
“The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday,” she said. “I like the fireworks and stuff, for our independence, because that’s what it’s all about.”
Afterward, crowds flocked to one end of the park for food and fun. On the other end, they watched athletes from across the country in the annual U.S. Log Rolling Open and Boom Running Competition.
“I’ve been log rolling since I was about 2 years old,” said Torrin Hallett of Wisconsin. “My father teaches it and as soon as we could walk, he put us up on a log.”
Men and women competed for experience, prize money, and seating positions in the Lumberjack World Championships in Hayward, Wisconsin in August. Hallett says it is a fitting competition for a place like Gladstone, which has hosted the event since 2018.
“This is celebrating the heritage of the area,” he said. “These are skills that used to be people’s jobs. The lumberjacks in the area would need to be able to log roll and boom run in order to chop down the trees and then float them down the river to the sawmills. We’re still preserving the techniques they would use today as a sport.”
The day’s events all lead to a firework display just after the sun sets on another Independence Day in Gladstone. Click here to see the full schedule of events taking place through the rest of the day.
