John Scarffe, Nederland. The Town of Nederland celebrated July 4, 2019, with a celebration on First Street including music and a parade. First Street was closed for a Community Block Picnic, and picnic tables were set up. Artists helped kids create chalk art.

A Marimba band performed throughout the day. The parade at noon highlighted the day, which was staged by Barker Reservoir. Longtime Nederland resident, Theresa Crush Warren, got the parade started and talked to each parade entrant.

The Grand Master of the parade was a yak hauling a cart with adults and children. The yak has been hauling the cart for a couple of months.

Children and adults on bicycles with Salto and Tin Shed Sports, in Nederland, followed. The Mountain Movers Dancing group came before a man and lady on stilts, accompanied by the huge Green Man monster. Ladies holding flowers followed a man with a fish that he walked off the road like a dog and would take commands like “roll over.”

A group with posters like “Freedom, Freedom, Freedom, to read, to speak, to express,” marched across the road. Historic vehicles included a Volkswagen bus, a 1979 ENGR army jeep, two Volkswagens and a man swooping by on a horse.

The parade also featured a float for the FRC Team and another hauling the Barker Dam Brass Band. A Nederland water truck and dumpster, as well as fire trucks from the Sugarloaf and Timberline Fire Department, participated. Chip Smith, with the Timberline Fire Protection District, drove an old fire truck loaded with folks.

One Nederland fire truck featured a live dinosaur in the back, followed by four Nederland Fire trucks and rescue vehicles. Smokey the Bear also made an appearance with U.S. Forest Service Rangers.

The Forest Service provided four trucks to the parade, followed by an old jeep with a wagon. A motorcycle waving U.S. flags with a young man in the back ended the parade.

The Nederland festivities continued with music on First Street until 4 p.m.

Originally published in the July 11, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear. You can buy a low resolution, downloadable pdf of this paper at https://themtnear.com/product/2019-07-11/