KALISPELL — There was something for everyone in downtown Kalispell this July Fourth. Whether it was the parade, free food, or a live reading of the Declaration of Independence, it was all part of America's 250th celebration.
WATCH: Kalispell celebrated America's 250th birthday with a parade, free breakfast and a live Declaration of Independence reading. 🎉
Red, white, and blue were scattered all across Kalispell, but the celebrations started before the parade. Bethlehem Lutheran Church opened the holiday bright and early with a free breakfast — sausage on a stick.
Peggy Ahgenes, a Bethlehem Lutheran Church member, said:
"We start them at 7 o'clock in the morning on the Fourth of July, and they're done by nine and then we start handing them out to all these wonderful people!"
With breakfast behind them, patriotic outfits were everywhere, but one parade-goer went further than most. Kenzie Tennant said she had been planning her look for a full year.
"So I've been wanting to make this since last Fourth of July I saw the hats and the whole thing and I'm like I'm doing it. I painted my shorts and then I spent too long making these hats," Tennant said.
It was then time for the parade, organized by the Flathead Marines, which brought floats, vehicles, and even animals down Main Street.
After the parade, crowds gathered at the Flathead County Library where Head Librarian Tony Edmundson read the Declaration of Independence aloud.
"What better way to celebrate America than to read and to read something as important as this on the best of all days." Edmundson said.
For Edmundson, the day was about more than celebration.
"This patriotism and bringing people together around America and what we stand for and what we mean and our freedoms. This is a great reminder for us to remind ourselves who we are." Edmundson said.
