2011 4th of July Celebration
“We the people ”

Annual Fourth of July Celebration
Friday, July 1 through Monday, July 4, 2011

Click Here for the Parade, Parade Route and Vendor Information

Click Here for the Annual Fourth of July Celebration Schedule

Those planning to celebrate the annual Independence Day holiday in Forest Lake are pretty much assured of one thing: good weather. The parade, the highlight of the community celebration now into its eighth decade, has not once been canceled because of rain.

Good weather, and the all-around fun and magnitude of the multi-day festival, have earned Forest Lake its reputation as the Fourth of July Capital of the Upper Midwest. This year’s event, scheduled for July 1-4 with the theme of “We the people,” is expected to once again draw crowds of nearly 50,000 for the parade and fireworks (Monday the 4th).

The annual celebration dates to 1924, when Forest Lake residents observed the holiday with a parade, fireworks, afternoon and evening dances, and numerous athletic contests, including wheelbarrow and bicycle races, sack and three-legged races, and a tug of war. Over the years, the event has grown to become one of the largest Fourth of July celebrations in the Midwest.

Since 1924, American Legion Post 225 and Auxiliary Unit 225 have sponsored the annual Independence Day celebration. For several days, the Legion post is headquarters for the festivities, with a bingo tent, a carnival (recently moved to the Legion property), dance music, food, and refreshments. Hungry festival-goers can dine inside the Legion post or fill up on burgers, brats, hot dogs, and other concession food from outside vendors.

The parade begins at 10:00 A.M. on Monday July 4th and makes its way through the city, starting just west of the American Legion Post on Broadway and ending near Forest Lake Elementary School. Grand Marshal in 2011 is Bill Olson and the Honorary Grand Marshal is Ruby Gjelhaug.

In 2004, parade organizers invited military personnel to march in uniform at the front of the parade just behind the joint VFW and American Legion color guard. That invitation has been extended each year. A fly-over by vintage fighter planes and bombers is also scheduled at 10:00 A.M.

The parade features some 200 units, including several high school marching bands and other musical groups. Some groups, such as the German Sitting Band, have entertained parade-goers for decades. The Forest Lake City Marching Band, a high school alumni and citizen band open to all area musicians, was revived in 2001 for its 20th anniversary and now performs in the parade every other year. Brass ensembles and a steel drum band have highlighted past parades.

Award categories include most patriotic float, best local float and best religious float. A recent addition is the Home Town Pride award, intended to promote local involvement in the parade. Parade coordinators strongly emphasize the local flavor of the Forest Lake event, hoping to discourage commercial exploitation of the national holiday. Families, organizations, churches, and businesses are invited to participate. Interested groups should contact the American Legion for qualifying guidelines or visit the post website (www.post225.com).

At 10:00 P.M. on the 4th, the fireworks display begins over the lake. Back in 1928, the fireworks included a variety of bombshells, candle batteries, rockets, umbrella geysers, and specialized pyrotechnics, including a “Fairy Whirlpool” and “Niagara Falls.” Today’s fireworks are no less spectacular, with a large crew working three days just to set up the finale.

During the celebration, Boy Scouts and other volunteers work long hours, putting out stakes early and staying up late to help with cleanup chores. Volunteers also assist the Forest Lake police department with event security. Note that parade route spots may not be reserved until sunrise per city ordinance.

Planning the annual event is a year-long process. Meetings start the second week in July to recap the event; then planning starts for the next year’s celebration. About 15 to 20 people work out the logistics of the parade and related events, from bands and concessions to staging and security. Throughout the process, planners get assistance from the police and fire departments and City Hall officials.

A complete schedule of events is published in the Forest Lake Times. The registration deadline for parade units is June 15; for more information, contact Krista Richter at 651-214-7745 or American Legion Post 225 at 651-464-2600. You can also go to www.post225.com to download the parade form and see frequently asked questions.