Fireworks and barbeques weren’t the only things keeping locals busy this 4th of July.
Most locals know about the Boulder Creek Fire Department’s pancake breakfast and the annual fourth of July parade down Highway 9 through Boulder Creek which “… has been held in Boulder Creek for as long as anyone can remember,” according to Doug Conrad, owner of Boulder Creek Hardware, local resident and the parade’s MC this year.
The parade itself started at 10:30 a.m. and had around 40 entries. Crowds lined the street while children impatiently waited for the candy throwing to start.
The Rotary club and San Lorenzo Valley High School’s Interact Club had their own float in the parade this year. “This is our first year in the Boulder Creek Parade,” said Karen McNamara, who described her club as “small but mighty,” and said, “The best part (is) the set up because we don’t actually get to see the parade.”
The parade itself opened when the National Anthem was sung. Next, came almost ten fire trucks from both the Boulder Creek and Ben Lomond departments, followed by Fifth District Supervisor Bruce McPherson dressed in red, white, and blue and throwing candy from the back of a vintage truck.
Dirt Bikes, Monster trucks, and horses followed with some parade entries standing out above others for their crowd-grabbing antics.
Lone Wolf Kenpo Academy brought out mats and did live demonstrations in the middle of the parade, while Country Home Inspection drew gasps as they drove dirt bikes right over the top of a moving car.
The Gold Rush float featured a choreographed line-dance type of performance all the way down Highway 9, and Garrahan Off Road Training closed the parade with wheelies and burnouts right alongside the crowd.
Keeping spectators safe was the job of the California Conservation Corps, who’s uniformed employees lined the street and kept the kids out of danger.
The Lumberjack days float took home the “best of show award,” while the Gold Rush dancers were recognized as legacies.
However, many headed home after the festivities and missed out on even more holiday fun.
Directly after the parade, spectators had a choice between making their way down to Junction Park for gold panning, live music, and a barbeque, or up the road to Boulder Creek Hardware to enjoy the eighth annual Lumberjack days.
Lumberjack days included a myriad of competitions from axe throwing to log rolling over the course of two days.
The weekend ended with the crowning of the King and Queen of the woods — those who finished the qualifying events with the best overall scores — Ben Beasley and Becky Unger. This is Unger’s third consecutive win and Beasley was crowned in 2013 as well.
One long time competitor, Don Long Jr., “practiced all year long,” for the event, and even built his own target to practice. Both he and his father, Don Long Sr., competed in multiple events and their names were common among the top three in previous years’ competitions.
Junction Park’s gold rush event ran from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and allowed parade-goers to escape the heat by diving head first into the San Lorenzo river.
A unique mix of classic rock and blues from the local band TroutLeg entertained the hot crowd in the park, and guitar player Mike Sandecki described the band’s origins saying, “We emerged from the primordial redwoods in pursuit of a good groove and a good time.”
With Ben Lomond Market running a barbeque, people could pan for gold for $5 per family, or take the plunge from the Junction park rope swing.
Boulder Creek went all out for the 4th of July this year, and their festivities draw a larger crowd every year as word of the fun spreads through the community.
