Estimated at a crowd of more than 10,000 people, the Creede and Mineral County Chamber of Commerce played host to the Valley’s largest Independence Day parade on Sunday, appropriately led by a calvary re-enactment of solders on horseback followed by a mule-led wagon. While firetrucks traditionally bring up the tail-end of parades, Creede opened its 4th of July event with them, including this antique ladder truck. One of two bagpipers in the Creede Independence Day parade, Damian Richardson followed wife Michelle who was sporting sheet music on the back of her shirt. Celebrating 100 years of existence in 2021, Del Norte Bank showed its patriotism with bank president Mike Hurst at the wheel of this antique car. Del Norte Bank is proud to maintain a branch in Creede, site of Sunday’s long 4th of July parade. Showing their ‘fit’ for the 2021 totally outdoors season, members of the Creede Repertory Theatre showed off their ‘stuff’ with their entry in the annual Independence Day parade. A crowd estimated at more than 10,000 crowded Creede’s main street as most of the nearly two hours of entries displayed their patriotism for Sunday’s 4th of July extravaganza. Courier photos by Keith R. Cerny

SOUTH FORK — South Fork and Creede once again celebrated the Fourth of July with events on Saturday and Sunday.

Residents and tourists painted the town red, white and blue at South Fork's annual July 3rd celebration. Creede followed up with its festivities on July 4.

The festivities commenced with a tasty pancake breakfast, that was held from 8 to 10 a.m. at the South Fork Community Building. After the breakfast, people were seen window shopping and enjoying the blue skies and fresh breeze, in this pleasant historical town.

The annual Catfish fry soon followed at the South Fork Fire and Rescue building, with firefighters as well as the Chief of the Fire Department Tyler Off in attendance.

Off was extremely enthusiastic about the event, stating, “We've served fish for about 18 years now. When we first started it, we actually started this event as a pig roast, but we only did that for two years, and then we started serving the fish, that seemed to be what most people liked better anyway.”

Off added that “this event has been going on for a full 20 years now, and we average about 900 people a year, but because this year the event is on a weekend, I really think we are going to break a thousand this year.”

The line that was seen outside of the fish fry, was indicative of the numbers Off mentioned.

At 3 p.m., hundreds of people lined the streets to enjoy the South Fork July 3^rdParade, as it slowly started to come down the Frontage Road in the middle of South Fork.

Many of the people at the parade cheered loudly, when the big fire truck in the parade, came through and sprayed everyone with water.

Children up and down the streets ran happily, as float after float threw candy and Popsicles into their eager little hands.

Two of the children, Ember and River Young enjoyed the parade

“It's so much fun, we love when we get the candy,” they said. 

Horses with buggies, South Fork's finest EMS and Fire and Rescue trucks, along with ATV's, tractors and local business vehicles all lined up and donned both American and Colorado flags proudly, in conjunction with the theme of the parade “She's a Grand Old Flag.”

The Kiwanis BBQ was held from 3 to 5 p.m., and a flag retirement ceremony was also held at 5:30 p.m. by the Fort Carson Color Guard, at the Rickel Rodeo Arena, and rodeo events soon followed with many people in attendance.

At dusk a splendor of fireworks was seen and heard, concluding South Fork's July 3^rdcelebration, with a brilliant display of colors, lighting up night sky over South Fork.