Will Fourth’s parade turn left or right at Winslow Way?

Published 3:24 pm Monday, June 6, 2011

It’s a month out, but because of the ongoing Winslow Way reconstruction project there are still some concerns about the route of the Grand Old Fourth of July Parade and other annual celebration events.

One thing is certain: the island will be a destination magnet during that four-day period with the annual Bainbridge Island Rotary Auction also on tap. The auction’s sale preview will be held from 3-7 p.m. Friday, July 1, with the Rummage Sale itself scheduled for the next day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Fortunately, the auction’s Woodward Middle School site is far from Winslow Way.

The city was scheduled to have most of the Winslow Way work completed just before the Fourth of July weekend. But the timeline is tight and there’s still a chance that unfinished sidewalks, parking lanes and the road itself will force the parade to continue west on Winslow Way to Grow Avenue after it has run its course down Madison Avenue.

“The project’s scheduling goal is to have all of the sidewalks, parking lanes and streets paved prior to July 4,” said the city’s Chris Wierzbicki, the project’s manager. “However, in case the schedule becomes too tight, the construction of the street is being phased such that sidewalks and parking lanes are to be completed first so that parade watchers can safely view the festivities even if the center travel lanes are not able to be paved in time.”

Wierzbicki added that the parade would turn right at Winslow Way and proceed to Grow Avenue if the sidewalks were still deemed unsafe, but he doesn’t think “this detour will be necessary.”

If the sidewalks and parking lanes along Winslow Way are finished, then the downtown celebration figures to be business as usual.

It will kick off with the Pancake Breakfast in the Town & Country parking lot, followed by the Bainbridge Youth Services Fun Run, the Antique Car Show, an all-day Street Fair, with music and entertainment for children and adults. This year’s parade theme is “Small Town, Big Heart.”

A fireworks show is also scheduled for Monday night.

The celebration will actually kick off the night before with an event called “The Summer Vibes Festival.”

The new festival will in essence replace the previous “Third of July Street Dance” put on annually for several years by the Bainbridge Island Downtown Association (BIDA). The Chamber of Commerce and the BIDA decided earlier this year not to stage the event due to a lack of funding.

However, a group of islanders have formed an organization called City Repair to put together the “Vibes” event. It is scheduled from 5-11 p.m. on July 3.

Councilor Debbi Lester, who is one of the organizers, said the festival’s event is still being scheduled, but it will include a variety of dancing and music for adults, and a separate section for kids’ entertainment. She said there will be a large band and some food vendors.

“It started when I got a call from Heather Wolf and Sean Matteson, some young people who grew up here,” Lester said.

“They asked if they could help put together an event that was cross-generational and we went from there. We’re still working on it, but it’s going to happen.”

Applications sought

Applications for the Grand Old Fourth of July fair, parade and car show are available at the Chamber of Commerce’s website at www.bainbridgechamber.com and at the Chamber’s office at 395 Winslow Way East.