The 1997 Fourth of July parade was important for many reasons. The event celebrated not only a national holiday and the anniversary of a historic parade in Flagstaff, but also the completion of the Flagstaff 2020 community visioning process. In fact, Flagstaff 2020 inspired the Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce to revive this local tradition.
“Until the 1970s, the 4th of July parade was one of the city’s biggest events. At the turn of the century, the entire community participated. There were elaborate floats, citizens lined the streets, and the downtown parade route was draped in patriotic bunting. We are reestablishing that tradition.”
Ann Dunlop, quoted in “Chamber Encourages Parade Participants,” Flagstaff Today: An Official Publication of the Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce, June 1997.
The 1997 parade was themed “Flagstaff Unfurls Its Future.” Community members were encouraged to submit float ideas to promote their local business or organization, as long as their float represented one of the seven target areas highlighted in A Vision for Our Community.
The Fourth of July parade was also where the winners of the Flagstaff 2020 Mystery Game were announced. On the steps of Flagstaff City Hall, Sue (Beke) Obrzut was awarded the grand prize of a house.