SHELBURNE FALLS — One year after the COVID-19 pandemic halted the beloved town tradition, the community of Shelburne Falls rallied to bring back their Independence Day parade, car show and barbecue.
Despite overhead storm clouds, notably high numbers of people filled the streets to watch floats, emergency vehicles and musicians celebrate American freedom. Organizers, military veterans and public service personnel from all over the region joined residents in the festivities. Between a parade, a classic car show and a chicken barbecue, a bustling, vibrant atmosphere was cultivated by the tight-knit town.
Following a year where this tradition had to be put on hold, perhaps nobody in the community had been more concerned with reviving the celebration than Steve Finck, a local firefighter, Lions Club member, and the event’s lead organizer for more than two decades.
“I believe the Fourth of July is the most important holiday there is,” Finck said. “I have American flags all over my house.”
Each year, Finck works to ensure that Shelburne Falls is represented appropriately by a wide variety of participants individually invited to the celebration. Locals believe that such an effort to bring people together is owed to the many military veterans who have resided in the town for generations.
“It means a lot to a town like this because there’s a lot of veterans from all of the wars,” Larry Parker, a 40-year Air Force mechanic who served during the Vietnam War, said.
“My grandpa and all my relatives were in the service,” Emily Eash, a parade leader, said. “I just want them to get the respect they deserve.”
The veteran presence in Shelburne Falls was visible on Independence Day with dozens in attendance at both the parade and the corresponding car show. For John Shippee, a 93-year-old veteran who served in both World War II and the Korean War, the celebration’s revival was extra special. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, last year marked the first time in the tradition’s history that he couldn’t attend. Another veteran present at the car show, Norman Cousino, expressed his gratitude that the event was happening.
“As a veteran, I just felt happy to be here,” the 85-year-old Korean War army veteran said.
The parade itself was quite a spectacle. Beginning at the old Buckland Maintenance Department on Conway Street, participants from firefighters to political campaigners to tractor drivers filed one after another in the road. Toward the front was a vehicle blossoming with patriotic music as the marching band played upon its roof. Children riding a float adorned with red, white and blue tissue paper pitched candy to grinning families clapping on the sidewalk. Trailing behind were a series of emergency vehicles blaring their sirens, their various town markings indicating a great collaborative effort. The parade stopped briefly downtown on Bridge Street so that the band could perform for spectators roadside, in storefronts, and leaning out of second-story windows before heading to Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School for the chicken barbecue. Once there, despite an ongoing drizzle, parade-goers lined up to get their food as the band played on.
The barbecue served as a nice conclusion for a day that organizers said had been tested by various obstacles. One particular issue that organizers had to overcome was the absence of Cub Scout assistance due to a shortage of involvement within the Scouts following the pandemic. Fortunately, the community was able to pull through due to a common next-one-up mentality.
“When something doesn’t work, the neighbors step up,” Julie Page, a Franklin County EMT, volunteer firefighter, and one of the event’s managers, said. “That’s what makes a small town a small town.”
Regardless of the weather, shortage of staff, and COVID-19 concerns, the community effort seemed to prove exceptionally fruitful.
“I don’t think I’ve seen this big of a turnout since 2017 or 2016,” Jason Jarvis, a former National Guard corporal of over 11 years, said.
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-772-0261, ext. 261 or jmendoza@recorder.com.