The Harmer family is known for their extravagant float entries in the Citrus Heights Red, White & Blue Parade. Pictured, a Flintstones-themed float by the Harmer family won the Mayor’s Award in the 2017 parade. // CH Sentinel
Letter submitted by Wayne Harmer, Rancho Cordova–
[RE: Citrus Heights says 2019 Red, White & Blue Parade won’t be happening; Feb. 3rd] Some of you may know me and my family. I go by the tag, Float Master. I am very sad of the news that one of the best-organized parades in Northern California, has been canceled. We spend six months building our parade float, and our first stop is Citrus Heights, California.
I have been to many parades, including military parades, in my life, and I have never seen ANY issue the way this parade has been run. We were towing our float at 10 mph, 15 miles each way, to be in your parade. As I said, My family is very sad.
That being said, this year we are doing the 80-year anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, complete with my little sister as the witch (fits her), and a large water fountain, man behind the curtain, a flying monkey, (grandson) and a real-looking, spinning Tornado. Please let us know, if your parade is back on! Thank you… The Harmer Family.
Other Letter(s):
By Julie Naughton, Citrus Heights–
I used to be proud of our city… a family place that engendered respect for country, community and traditional notions of good. Moves like ending our annual parade is a step toward creating a cold, bland, liberal landfill for wannabe suburbanites with superficial values. WHAT IS THE POINT?
What do you think of the city’s decision to discontinue the Red, White & Blue Parade? Submit a letter to the editor or opinion column for publication: Click here
Parade-watchers line the streets for the 2017 annual Red, White and Blue parade in Citrus Heights. // CH Sentinel
Colorful banners, balloons and marching bands took over Sunrise Boulevard Saturday morning as thousands lined the street for Citrus Heights’ 18th annual Red, White and Blue Parade.
With morning temperatures in the mid-seventies, the parade kicked off just after 9 a.m. with a high-speed entry by two skydivers dropped from high above Sunrise Mall. The event concluded about an hour-and-a-half later after a steady stream of classic cars, blaring bands, police vehicles, and other parade floats passed by on Sunrise Boulevard between Madison Avenue and Greenback Lane.
“This was the best parade we’ve ever had,” said Citrus Heights Councilman Bret Daniels, who participated in the parade along with all four other council members. “The parade was magnificent, weather was wonderful — couldn’t have been any better.”
The June 24 event was led by 10 police motorcycles and concluded with 10 speeding go-carts driven by the local Ben Ali Shriner’s group. The 60-plus other parade entries included classic cars, church groups, radio stations, and several area businesses.
Citrus Heights resident Brett Coleman was among the parade watchers and said he attends the event every year with his family and young daughters. He said the parade gives the city a “small-town feel” with a community atmosphere, bands, old cars, and families lined along the street — although he said some Metro Fire trucks in the parade would have been nice.
Winning the annual Mayor’s Award for the best and most creative entry was the Harmer family, who had a Flintstones-themed float made entirely of recycled materials and 16 rolls of duct tape, according to a loud-speaker announcement as the float rolled past the judges’ booth.
Citrus Heights Neighborhood Area 6 won the award for best neighborhood association entry, and the Citrus Heights Dance Academy won the award for best music entry. Other winners included Kaia Fit Citrus Heights, the Mesa Verde Mavericks, a Halloween-themed entry from Cemetarium Haunted House, as well as the San Juan Alumni Association and San Juan cheerleaders and baseball players who participated in the parade.
The Citrus Heights Rotary Club‘s pancake breakfast, served up in the Sunrise Mall parking lot was also an expected hit following the event.
“Weather cooperated, there was a little breeze — parade was successful,” Mayor Jeff Slowey told The Sentinel following the parade. “It’s all for the kids and the family so it was all good.”
Slowey said the annual parade began several years after Citrus Heights became a city two decades ago and said the event is always held on the last Saturday in June to not conflict with July 4th parades in the region.
“We wanted to do something for the community,” said Mayor Jeff Slowey, recalling the parade’s origins in 1999. “People like parades, so we’ve had it and it’s been very successful.”
Following the parade this year was a “Summer Kick Off” event hosted by the Sunrise Marketplace in the Mall’s parking lot. Inflatables, classic cars and food trucks could be seen setting up for the kick off event during the parade, with a line of eager kids allowed early entry to the event area around 10:30 a.m.
Police estimated several thousand people attended the 2017 parade. Traffic on Sunrise Boulevard between Madison Avenue and Greenback Lane was closed down for several hours to allow for the event.
The Harmer family’s Flintstones-themed float won the 2017 Mayor’s Award during the Red, White and Blue Parade. // Photo credit: Luke Otterstad
