HOULTON, Maine — The Fourth of July parade, sponsored by the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce, was once again a visual treat for those lining Main Street, Market Square and Military Street.
Featuring enough floats to stretch out for one mile, Houlton’s parade once again featured a wide array of entries, from the Anah Temple Shrine go-karts and McGills’ Community Band to beauty pageant queens and of course plenty of tractors.
“We take pride in our parade in that when the last float leaves, the first group is typically getting back,” said Jane Torres, executive director for the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce.
Spectators began lining the streets about one hour before the start of the parade to ensure they got their favorite spot.
Torres noted there were a few complaints from spectators that a couple of parade entries displayed confederate flags. The flags were not noticed by event organizers during the lineup portion of the parade, even after a member of the American Legion inspected each flag to make sure it was displayed in the proper manner, she said.
“Anyone in the state is free to fly a confederate flag on their own property, but in a traditional public forum like a parade on town streets, the decision is at the discretion of the organizers,” Torres said. “Unfortunately, it has become such a political symbol. So we at the chamber ask those who want to be in our parade to refrain from displaying the confederate flag.”
Winners of parade awards in their respective categories were:
Best commercial entry — F.A Peabody with a float celebrating the company’s 90th anniversary.
Best non-commercial entry – an antique manure spreader from the Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum filled with flowers from Pleasant View Tree Farms.
Best agricultural entry — USDA National Resource Conservation Service with a float celebrating agricultural diversity in The County.
Chairman’s choice — Andy’s IGA with an iconic watermelon float.
Best Walking group — The Marine Corps League.
Photos by Joseph Cyr
