Patagonia’s Forth of July parade always draws a crowd. It’s truly a hometown parade, with sirens, flag-bearing veterans, kids walking goats, and car after car honoring the community’s VIPs and supporting its causes. And it’s an interactive parade. By July, temperatures are usually in the 90s. The viewers lining the street know that unless they back up out of the line of fire, they are likely to be sprayed with water from the fire truck and other parade vehicles as they pass by. They stand ready and fire back with water balloons, squirt guns, big waterblasting guns, and soakers. For a short while we are like kids again, lobbing balloons or laughing as someone takes a spray, and then yelling out as we get targeted.
For the most part, people abide by the unwritten rules—no aiming at horses, small children, or inside vehicles. No heavy windups and fastball throws with the balloons. But in the last few years, there have been a few on the sidelines who forgot to maintain courteous limits. Some even carried around five-gallon plastic buckets full of water and upended them on unsuspecting spectators.
Lars Marshall, who has a big role in organizing the event each year, recalls when that happened to him. “I was sitting down, working on forms for the parade, that were scattered all around me. Suddenly some guy dumped a full bucket on me. I was soaked—along with all the paperwork.”
I asked him whether the Fourth of July committee was considering some kind of action to keep the water play at a reasonable level. Lars, who feels that “water is what makes the parade wonderful and unique,” said that there was no such discussion. However, he added that people who are participating in it need to remember that it’s supposed to be fun—and should be aware of what or whom they’re aiming at and not get heavy-handed. Anyone walking around dousing people with a big container full of water will be asked to leave. If you are watching the parade and see someone shooting their water gun or spitballing balloons, he suggests that you tell them “that’s not cool.”
We can all help to keep the parade an event that’s fun—for everyone.
“I have been here since I was a kid and it has always been the same since 1975. Don’t change anything.” — Andy Wood
“I am 26 and I love it. The young community members still enjoy the exchanges and it is a way to connect with the parade. I want my son Logan to be able to do it too.” — Audrey Wood
“It is 90 degrees, it’s hot and water feels good.” — Jeff Evans