Islanders will enjoy abundant holiday fun in the coming days.

By RHONA SCHWARTZ and MEAGAN O’SHEA

Staff Writers

It’s unarguably the best seat in town of the best small-town parade around.

Perched high atop a rickety scaffolding in the bed of a pickup truck at the corner of Winslow Way and Madison Avenue sits Mark Soltys, the announcer extraordinaire of the Grand Old Fourth Parade. That has been his throne for 20 years.

“I plan on climbing that scaffolding until I can’t climb anymore,” Soltys said.

Voted by his senior class as most willing to serve – or, as he says, less likely to say no – Soltys took the job no one wanted.

“Somebody had to do it. No one else raised their hands,” he said.

In the mid-1980s, Soltys served on the board at Bainbridge Island Broadcasting. He was the first to realize that in order for the group to receive more attention, it needed to be present at island events, including the parade.

While he originally wasn’t a fan of parades, working the event became a sort of ritual after the first couple of years.

“I really love the Chamber’s tie to the idyllic notion of what a small town should be,” Soltys said. “Where else would I be for the Fourth of July?”

Music, food, kids’ activities, classic cars and a parade are just a few of the highlights that make Winslow the place to gather July 3 and 4.

Big BBQ 3rd

The July 3rd Street Dance and BBQ lives up to its reputation for great entertainment, dancing, music and and food, plus an energized Kid Zone that brings the younger set back for more. This year, the music starts in the afternoon for greater enjoyment.

“We are so excited about our 20th anniversary this year,” said Cris Beattie, executive director of the Bainbridge Island Downtown Association, the event’s sponsor. “It’s bigger and better than ever.”

Toss a blanket in front of the Gazebo Stage on Winslow Green and listen to Washington Natural Brass at 1 p.m. Up next are the Intensely Vigorous Dixieland Band at 2:30; folk singer Kaitlin Rose at 4; The Lubricators at 5:30; and Soundproof Highway at 7:30.

For the 21st year, Town & Country is sponsoring the barbecue, which starts at 5:30 p.m. The menu features grilled teriyaki chicken and vegetables, jasmine rice and bottled water for 10 tickets; a garden burger meal for eight tickets; and hot dogs, chips and water for five tickets.

Satellite food booths up and down Winslow Way will offer a smorgasbord of fare, including hot dogs, frog cookies, lemonade, coffee treats, tamales, cotton candy, pretzels, popcorn and caramel apples.

Stop at one of the Bainbridge Downtown booths to purchase tickets – $1 apiece – which must be used for food, drinks, Kid Zone fun and souvenirs.

Show your patriotic pride by wearing red, white and blue flower leis and candy necklaces or waving flashing yo-yos and pins, available at designated booths.

The popular Kid Zone opens at 6 p.m. with old and new inflatable favorites – Wall Climbing, Extreme Air, Speed Pitch, Bounce Carousel, Giant Sabretooth Tiger Slide and the Rat Race Obstacle Course – face painting and loads of free sidewalk chalk from the Calico Cat. Don’t miss the dunk tank in the T&C parking lot.

The Island Marimba Ensemble will open the evening’s entertainment at 5:30 p.m. at Winslow Mall. At 6:30, the newly crowned Strawberry Festival Court will be introduced. Taking the stage at 7 are returning favorites the Original Fenderskirts.

The music continues in the Kid Zone across Winslow Way. Local groups, including members of Ovation! Musical Theatre, will perform at 7 p.m. in front of Eagle Harbor Books, followed by the Swingin’ Hepcats at 8. DJ Brant Butte spins music starting at 6.

Advance tickets are available at Eagle Harbor Books through July 2. Or buy them the day of the event from roving ticket vendors in lime green T-shirts or at a flagged ticket booth.

The Bainbridge Island Downtown Association thanks its corporate sponsors, American Marine Bank, Town & Country Market, Local Escapes, Sound Reprographics, the Bainbridge Island Review and the Virginia Mason Clinic, which helped make this event possible. Special thanks go to all the volunteers and downtown businesses for their efforts.

Grand Old 4th

The holiday fun continues with the 39th Annual Grand Old Fourth of July and a pair of pancake breakfasts. The Fourth Annual Pancake Breakfast sponsored by Boy Scout Troop 1566 begins at 8 a.m. at the LDS church on Madison Avenue.

Over at the T&C parking lot, pancakes will be served from 7 to 11 a.m.

Sufficiently fueled, head to the high school diamond for the Bainbridge Historical Baseball Society’s annual match-up between the Island Reds and the Winslow Grays. Pre-festivities begin at 8:30 a.m.; the first ball is tossed at 9.

Suggested donation is $5. Buy tickets at the July 3rd Street Dance or at the gate on game day. Spectators are automatically entered to win door prizes, to be awarded during the seventh-inning stretch, so keep the ticket stubs. All proceeds benefit the Battle Point Transmitter Building Renovation Project.

An arts-and-crafts street fair snaking from T&C through Waterfront Park goes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In between, the Run for Bainbridge Youth Services gets started at 9. Check-in is at Winslow Mall beginning at 7:30 a.m. Racers will take off from the corner of Madison and Winslow in either the 1-mile fun run at 9, the 5K Run/Walk at 9:15 or the Kids Dash at 10:30.

More than 90 antique, classic and special interest cars highlight the Classic Car Show, which will be set up from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the American Marine Bank and Washington Mutual parking lots.

Valentines’ Performing Pigs will hog the Waterfront Park Stage at 11 a.m.

Having worked up a lather clapping for them, head to the first Harbour Pub Beer Garden behind American Marine Bank. Brews and wine will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Home Town Band, a patriotic group, performs at noon in Winslow Mall.

Afterward, line up along Madison and Winslow for the 39th annual Bainbridge Island Grand Old Fourth Parade, complete with musicians, marchers in costume and puppets.

Johnny Sound and the Furies play at 2:15 p.m. in Waterfront Park.

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Park here

Free parking for the Grand Old Fourth is available at the parking lots of Ace Hardware, Kitsap Bank, Bainbridge High School, Woodward Middle School and Sakai Intermediate School. Free shuttle service to the police station on Winslow Way will be provided from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.