Eden’s Fun Fourth Parade is just that

A sea of red, white and blue is what you would’ve seen if you drove by Fair Funeral Home on Friday morning. The Fairs were hosting their 13th Annual Fun Fourth Parade, arguably the grandest display of patriotism you’ll see in Eden all year.

“It’s great that we’re able to show that patriotism,“ said N.C. Rep. Nelson Cole, who was the grand marshal at last year’s Fun Fourth Parade. “People die every day to accomplish what we’ve accomplished.“

The most impressive show of patriotism at the parade was the Walker Family and Company’s “Birthday Bashers” float, which won the award for “best float.“ On top of the float was a giant cake painted red, white and blue. On the side of the float was a banner bearing “Happy Birthday, America” in bold letters. Riding on the float were children blowing horns and singing the “Happy Birthday” song to America.

“We spray painted hats and horns. The kids are having a ball,“ said Denise Barker. She said the Walkers were originally going to do old-fashioned swimsuits in patriotic colors, but they realized it would take too much effort and sewing, so Barker came up with a simpler idea.

“I said, ‘What about Happy Birthday, America?‘ We’ll do a big cake.“ She said she and the Walkers got the idea for the birthday cake design and decorate from a T-shirt one of them saw in a store. They used recycled boxes to make the massive cake.

The Walkers live in the neighborhood and decorate a float every year for the Fun Fourth Parade. Marlo Walker said it’s not long after one parade that the family starts planning for the next year’s parade.

People found more ways than one to show off their national pride at Friday’s Fun Fourth Parade. Some did it by spray painting their hair red, white and blue. Others went to greater lengths. Six-year-old Chloe Griffith managed to show her patriotic spirit while impersonating one of the most beloved fictional characters of all time - Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz.“ She wore a blue-and-white checkered gingham jumper and ruby red slippers and had her dog Toto in tow.

“His real name is Toto. He’s a Cairn Terrier like Toto on ‘The Wizard of Oz,‘“ said Griffith’s mother, Jenny. Needless to say, Griffith won the prize for “best costume” in the Fun Fourth Parade.

Inga Sheffield showed her “Fun Fourth” spirit by wearing a cow costume. Sheffield also donned a handmade aluminum foil wrapped cow bell bearing the phrase “Let Freedom Ring” with a real cow bell inside. Sheffield said she borrowed the cow costume from a friend and the costume idea was “a last-minute thing.“

“It just came to me a couple of days ago,“ she said. “It’s something unique.“

Real animals marched in Friday’s parade as well. The most notable animal at the parade was Rowdy Mac the llama, led by its owner Guerrant Tredway. Tredway had such a good time bringing Rowdy Mac to last year’s parade that he decided to bring the llama out again.

“It lets people see different animals. Most people haven’t seen a llama,“ he said.

Ann Fair said she never ceases to be amazed with people’s creativity at the Fun Fourth Parade. The Crouch Family expressed their originality at this year’s parade with a “Surfin’ USA”-themed wagon.

“We’ve been in the parade for 8 years. We always do a wagon,“ said Tammie Crouch. This year she decided to decorate the wagon like a woody wagon and throw in the beach theme.

Crouch’s 5-year-old daughter Leah rode in the wagon with a beach ball and umbrella and a karaoke machine playing the Beach Boys’ classic “Surfin’ USA.“ Crouch’s 10-year-old daughter Mary Elizabeth marched beside the wagon wearing a swimsuit. Crouch said one of her daughters helped her paint the surf board on top of the wagon, but the girls let her do most of the decoration.

“Mostly, they like getting dressed up,“ she said.

Angie Purgason’s 6-year-old son Noah had a great time putting on his overalls and farmer’s hat and riding in a gator in the Fun Fourth Parade. The gator had hay and watermelons in the bottom of it. Hitched up to the back of the gator was a red wagon with Noah’s 2-year-old sister Allie inside. A sign on the gator read “Watermelons for sale. Sister is free.“ At the end of the parade, Noah gladly claimed his grand prize from the Fairs.

“He just loves parades,“ said Purgason. “It’s nice to have something over here to take kids to.“ Eden Mayor John Grogan agrees.

“This is really the children’s parade. It’s for the children,“ he said. “You can look around and see how they prepare and dress up and decorate.“

Grogan also said he likes the fact that the parade route is “compact,“ going through a neighborhood, yet it brings out people from all parts of Eden. Cole said the parade reminds him of Fourth of July celebrations from his childhood.

“When I was growing up, it was a neighborhood thing. Everybody got together with their neighbors,“ said Cole. With the rising cost of fuel, Cole speculates more and more people will begin celebrating the holiday the old-fashioned way, in their hometowns with their neighbors and friends.

The friendly, neighborly spirit of the Fun Fourth Parade has stayed the same through the years, but the participation has increased astronomically. Alice Fair said even she is amazed at how much the parade has grown.

“It was just an idea,“ said Fair. “When I was 5, I said, ‘Let’s have a parade.‘ It started with 40, 50 people. It happened to turn out so well.“

Staff writer Miranda Baines can be reached at or 349-4331, ext. 35.