Glen Arbor parade returns
Painting by Hank Feeley
From staff reports
Antique cars, the Leelanau County sheriff and firetrucks will once again roll through downtown Glen Arbor on Independence Day. They’ll be joined by the Kazoo Corps, the Cherry Republic bear, Elvis, kids on bicycles, local newspapers tossed from a convertible, and live music on a flatbed trailer. Art’s owner Tim Barr will patrol the corner of M-22 and Lake Street with his broom to keep candy-seeking children out of the street.
Our Fourth of July parade is back!
Stan Brubaker, 93 years young and mounted on his yellow moped, will help line up the parade in Glen Haven before it departs at noon for the mile-long trip down M-109 to Glen Arbor. Older vehicles go first so their engines don’t overheat while waiting for parade walkers. Those on foot typically join the parade at the Christian Science Church parking lot. Brubaker nevertheless emphasizes that this event is not officially organized.
“It’s just a group of Township citizens who gather together to celebrate the signing of our Declaration of Independence,” he says. “Anybody can join the parade.”
This year’s grand marshals are Bill and Dottie Thompson, Glen Arbor fixtures who own the White Gull Inn and who, until 2019, served Chicago-style “Dune dogs” from a popular hot dog stand. It’s possible—though unlikely—that Bill will throw dune dogs to the crowd from their throne in a red convertible. Kids gathered along the parade route are more likely to catch candy and Glen Arbor Sun newspapers.
Leland canceled its Fourth of July parade, so Glen Arbor will host the only one in Leelanau County. This grand tradition was sorely missed during 2020, the Coronavirus plague year—the first time it was canceled in the parade’s 58-year history.
“I missed seeing all the people that come back year after year,” said Brubaker. “The first hour and a half in Glen Haven is people standing around saying, ‘Hi, how you been? How was your winter?’ All that camaraderie of local citizens, gab-festing with each other.”
Last year, some families tried to honor the spirit of the parade by holding their own, albeit smaller version. The Hubbard family wasn’t able to travel to Glen Arbor in 2020, so they reenacted the parade at their home in Bristol in southwestern Virginia. Their creative homage, which they captured on camera, included kids riding on bicycles, newspapers and candy thrown from floats, a Spartan flag, an Elvis appearance, the Kazoo Corps, the Leelanau Democrats holding signs, popsicles, toilet paper, squirt guns and, of course, the Cherry Republic bear. Watch a video of their parade re-enactment below:
Breanne Forbes Hubbard has visited Glen Arbor every year since her grandparents, Pat and Bob Hagerman, moved here in the mid-1990s. She said Glen Arbor was like a second home to her growing up; she even spent a summer in college working at Cherry Republic.
“I’ve been to almost every Fourth of July parade the last two decades and our family often had floats when I was a child,” said Hubbard. “The Fourth of July parade in Glen Arbor is one of the best celebrations in Northern Michigan, and we are so excited to be there in-person this year!”
Arrive early for this year’s Glen Arbor Fourth of July parade, bring a lawn chair, and find your spot along M-109 or M-22, as this event promises to draw a big crowd. The parade leaves Glen Haven around noon and typically arrives downtown by 12:30. If you’re worried about COVID, feel free to wear a mask. Leelanau County leads Michigan in vaccinations: more than 70% of residents 16 and older are fully inoculated against COVID-19.