Bigfork Fourth of July Parade relocates to Montana 209 under new organizer

Bigfork’s celebration of American independence will look a little different this year. Instead of coursing through downtown, the parade will progress along Montana 209 in Ferndale beginning at noon on Saturday.

The parade typically has been hosted by the Bigfork Area Chamber of Commerce, but due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and an inability to maintain social distancing in the narrow downtown corridor, the chamber called off the event last month. That decision was made with public health and safety in mind, but didn’t sit well with Bigfork local Zack Wenzel. Shortly after the Chamber’s announcement, he announced on social media that he’d organize the parade himself. His efforts incurred a mixture of backlash and support from the community some of whom expressed concerns for safety and potential spread of the coronavirus while others were delighted to see the hometown tradition continue.

Though Wenzel initially planned to state the parade in downtown Bigfork, he ultimately decided to route the parade through Ferndale where attendees could more easily spread out and maintain six feet of separation between one another. The highway will be closed to traffic for the duration of the parade.

Montana’s COVID-19 cases have surged in recent weeks due in part to increased testing and the state’s transition into Phase 2 of reopening, where 14-day quarantine restrictions were lifted for out-of-state travelers and expanded business operations were permitted. Within the past two weeks, Montana’s caseload has nearly doubled and 67 new cases reported on Thursday, bringing the total to 1,083 coronavirus cases statewide.

Wenzel said he will encourage attendees to take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. He also noted that he is “passionate about America” and wants to celebrate the Fourth of July and most importantly, support local businesses, many of which have been struggling throughout the pandemic.

He secured approval from the Montana Department of Transportation for the event and came up with a plan for an alternate route. The parade will begin at the Ferndale Fire Hall, at the intersection of North Ferndale Drive and Montana 209, and head east to where the highway intersects Montana 83. And although they are not hosting this year’s parade, the Bigfork Area Chamber of Commerce offered guidance on which permits were necessary for the alternate event to move forward.

“We were not able to have the traditional event in Bigfork due to social distancing guidelines and we are glad to see an individual from our community get the proper permitting to have the event elsewhere,” Chamber Executive Director Rebekah King said. “We’re very happy that we were able to take an event that was kind of … created and thrown out to the public and help it be something that could be safe for the community.”

Wenzel is estimating anywhere between 5,000 and 15,000 people based on previous year’s parade crowds and the fact that many similar events have been called off throughout the state, which could mean an influx of people coming to Bigfork.

Parking will be available in locations including select farm fields that will be marked with signs, Swan River Road, North and South Ferndale Road.

Vendors, food trucks and music by Chain Reaction will take place at Ferndale Market beginning at 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. There is no entry fee to participate in the parade — interested parties are asked to report to Aero Lane near North Ferndale Drive for the parade lineup by 11 a.m.

The procession will begin at noon as is expected to last about 45 minutes, Wenzel said. Local businesses including Midway Rental have supported the event through donations of equipment, while the nonprofit Grounded, along with the Ferndale Market, have provided financial support for the parade. Anyone interested in donating is asked to contribute to Grounded and those who want to help out with the event itself can report to Ferndale Market the day of the event.

“It has been overwhelming support. I can’t tell you how many phone calls I got,” Wenzel said. “Obviously you’re going to have some backlash, but my recommendation to them is if you’re scared [of the virus] … you don’t have to come. We’re going to livesteam on it Facebook.”

The parade will be livestreamed on the event’s Facebook page titled, Bigfork 4th of July Parade, and Ferndale Market’s page as well. As of Wednesday, July 1, more than 1,400 people had expressed interest in the event and nearly 400 indicated they would be attending.

Wenzel has also employed Glacier Traffic Control to help control traffic for the event and said that 15 members of the Flathead County Sheriff’s Posse have volunteered to patrol and assist with traffic control.

He also stressed that safety is something he will be taking seriously and will be encouraging social distancing, setting up hand washing stations and asking people to wear masks, although they are not required, he added.

Reporter Mackenzie Reiss may be reached at 758-4433 or mreiss@dailyinterlake.com.