Glen Arbor, Leland welcome big crowds for Independence Day Parades

PARADE CHAIR David “Chauncey” Shiflett checks his list and radios fellow volunteers that the Leland Fourth of July parade is about to begin. Shiflett is also a county commissioner. Looking on is former county commissioner Richard Schmuckal, who was part of a veterans color guard leading the parade.

STAR SPANGLED spectators line the parade route along M-22 (Main Street) on the Fourth of July in Leland.

CHILDREN WAVE from a colorful Camps Leelanau and Kohahna bus at the Glen Arbor Fourth of July parade. A big crowd celebrated Independence Day by watching floats, listening to music, collecting candy tossed by parade participants, and enjoying the community’s patriotic tribute of the nation’s birthday.

MICHIGAN Supreme Court justice Elizabeth “Betty” Weaver entertains the crowd in a red, white and blue costume.

A LARGE CROWD gathers around the pavilion at Old Settlers Park in Burdickville on the morning of Independence Day for the flag-raising ceremony and sing-a-long.

THE AMERICAN FLAG is raised during the ceremony, which is organized by the Glen Lake Woman’s Club every year. Club member Pat Kann said that each year crowds seem to get bigger, and this year’s event attracted an estimated turnout of 250 people.

FIREWORKS EXPLODE over Leland and a sailboat late in the evening on Tuesday, July 3. (Photo courtesy of June Swinerton)

Observers of Fourth of July parades in Leland and Glen Arbor agreed that crowds appeared to be larger than usual this year at both locations.

“Maybe it had something to do with the fourth being in the middle of the week,” said Bill Thompson of Glen Arbor.  “I think people might have decided to come up for the whole week rather than just a long weekend and were looking for a good time,” he said.

Leelanau County Sheriff Mike Oltersdorf didn’t disagree – but had  his own theory.

“I honestly believe that the clouded weather conditions with a slight chance of rain motivated people to go to town and shop and attend the parade rather than go to the beach,” Oltersdorf said.

One life-long summer resident of Leland – 9-year-old Hope Carlson of Grand Rapids – said she, too, was convinced that crowds were bigger this year.  And they were coming from all over the place, she reported.

“I counted license plates on cars from 33 different states plus Ontario, Canada,” said Carlson, who carried a notebook around Leland during the parade to record her observations.

The sheriff, meanwhile, noted that cars were parked along M-22 much further south from Leland than usual this year for the fireworks display the evening of July 3.  It took more than an hour for deputies to direct traffic out of Leland following the fireworks display.

A fireworks display in Northport on the evening of July 4 was also very well attended, officials said.