July 4th patriotic pancakes plus a parade

Niwot's annual Fourth of July celebration was packed with fun activities from start to finish, thanks to the continued efforts of the Niwot Community Association (NCA) which sponsors the event, with financial support from the Niwot Local Improvement District.

Starting the morning off at 7:30 a.m. was the "Bert Steele Pancake Breakfast" served in front of the Niwot Market. Net proceeds from this year's ticket sales went towards purchasing another grill for the breakfast to help cover the increasing popularity of the event as well as Olympic flags to be placed around Niwot in support of hometown hero, Elise Cranny (see Courier article here). Tips and donations were accepted by the Niwot Patriotic Cookie Moms, who helped serve breakfast, to continue to fund their efforts to bake cookies and other treats to send to our nation's troops.

Pancake flippers and grill-masters extraordinaire were Chris Klatt, Ralph Bailey and Jeff Server, all of whom have contributed to the pancake breakfast for a combined 33 years. "I love being here," said Klatt, "I look forward to it every year. [Community members] all find a role and a way to give back to the community and this is our way of contributing." This crew also participates in the pancake breakfast at the Easter celebration in Niwot. "[We] couldn't do this without the support of Pat Murphy and the Steele family," Klatt said.

At 8:30 a.m. children were invited to decorate their bikes to participate in the parade. Supervisor Dana Saltzman, whose mother Julie Breyer organized the parade, has been overseeing the decorating for the past ten years. She said that "[bike decorating] is a big hit with parade viewers as much as the kids who participate." She continued, "Kids love it because they get to be a part of the parade and get creative." The bags used to decorate bikes were put together thanks to the efforts of the Niwot Nifties 4-H Club.

Music began at 9 a.m. in front of the Niwot Market thanks to the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band (NCSMFGB). The patriotic concert included "The Stars and Stripes Forever," "America," "Respect," "Danny Boy," "I'm Still Standing," "High School Cadets," "Liberty Bell March," "National Emblem," and "The Washington Post," as well as all of the armed forces' theme songs. The ensemble is "always under construction" and looking for new members to join. Contact Biff Warren ([email protected]) if you would like to join the fun.

Grand Marshals Alison and Seth Steele led the parade behind the Scout Troop 161 Color Guard and the NCSMFGB. The parade stepped off at 11 a.m. with participants including Bert's Red Chevrolet from the Niwot Market, the Mountain View Fire District's antique fire truck, the Niwot Rotary Club, the Anthem Wranglerettes dance team, Niwot Patriotic Cookie Moms, the Niwot United Methodist Church, Niwot High School Booster Club, NHS Cheerleaders, NHS "Pride of Niwot" Marching Band, Scout Troop 161, many children on their patriotically decorated bikes, Inkberry Books, Up-A-Creek Robotics, LOCO Ukulele, antique cars from the Niwot Chiefs, and the Lefthand Highlanders Bagpipe Band. The parade made its way from Meadowdale Drive, west onto Niwot Road, then turned down 2nd Avenue, ending at its intersection with Murray Street.

"This year was probably our smoothest year," said organizer Julie Breyer. Breyer, a member of the NCA's board of directors, has been a vital part of organizing every aspect of the event for the past eleven years. A special shoutout also goes to the NCA's volunteer Road Crew who helped manage traffic and road closures throughout the morning beginning before the pancake breakfast. Members of the crew were stationed throughout the parade route to ensure the safety of parade viewers and participants alike.