Kalispell, Bigfork Fourth of July parades canceled

The Kalispell and Bigfork Chambers of Commerce have canceled this year’s Fourth of July parades, citing public safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The popular parades draw thousands of spectators each year. Under Gov. Steve Bullock’s Reopening the Big Sky plan, phase two, which started June 1, allows for social gatherings of up to 50 people, still taking into consideration social distancing measures.

Additionally, each parade requires a public-facing planning phase of approximately 30 days, and while organized groups of more than 50 people will be permitted in later phases of reopening, there is no guarantee of the state being in a position for those larger events by the beginning of July, according to a press release from the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce.

“The decision to cancel is unfortunate,” said Rebekah King, executive director of the Bigfork Area Chamber of Commerce. “The Fourth of July Parade is a longstanding tradition for families, friends and visitors in Bigfork and we share in your disappointment. Ultimately, it is the health and safety of our community that is most important this year.”

The Bigfork parade routinely brings in anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 people to Bigfork.

“There is no way that we can control people in and out of town and adhere to social distancing guidelines,” King explained. “We recognize the impact on the community that this is going to have but we really had no other choice.”

The Bigfork Chamber parade committee considered alternatives, including hosting a small parade on private property with a live-stream, but didn’t feel there would be enough interest for that format. King also said they talked about running a small parade through local neighborhoods to discourage downtown congregating, but ultimately felt the best alternative was to cancel the event altogether.

While the parade is a no-go, the Bigfork Summer Rodeo, held over the Fourth of July weekend will take place. King said she’s received numerous calls from locals comparing the parade to the rodeo. But King explained there were significant differences between the two, namely that the rodeo is a ticketed event with seating, so it would be easier to limit crowds and adhere to social distancing measures. “They can control numbers, they can control seating ... These are all the barriers that we cannot [control],” King said.