In Johnson, July Fourth is a holiday that can’t be missed

JOHNSON — Shannon (Druffel) Ressler, of Kirkland, Wash., stood in front of a “Barbie Dream Train” festooned in pink balloons, crepe paper and American flags.

The truck, repurposed to look like a train car, would soon carry many of her relatives in Barbie costumes in the Johnson Fourth of July Parade.

The train’s look this year, one of many sported in its multiple appearances at the annual event, was in honor of the new “Barbie” movie that will be released later this month, Ressler said.

Ressler was one of thousands of people who congregated in the unincorporated Palouse farming town for the celebration that was founded more than half a century ago.

The parade, known for its informal atmosphere, is part of what makes July Fourth one of the most important holidays for many families who live in the area, said Donna Wolf, of Uniontown.

Two of her sons, both pilots, had traveled back home. One had finished flying a charter plane from Paris just hours before starting his trip to eastern Washington.

“You can miss Christmas,” Wolf said, “but you can’t miss the Fourth.”

Children waving American flags riding in wagons pulled by tractors, a robot tossing purple cubes to members of a robotics club and members of the League of Women Voters passing out American flags were part of the patriotic procession.

Family members filled a trailer pulled by a vehicle with a sign that read, “In ’73, we tied the knot. Look what 50 years has brought.”

Some were dancing. Others were batting around pickleballs and at least one was waving a pom pom.

A pull-apart car, one of the parade’s most well known features, experienced technical difficulties. The car is known for doing a stunt where it’s going down the road in a single piece then splits in half. Both sections move separately with their own drivers before going back together.

This year, one part navigated the whole length of the parade and the other half was pushed into a driveway before it completed the full route.

The Barbie Dream Train was toward the end of the parade, accompanied by family members dressed as Barbies of all kinds.

Wearing pink heart-shaped sunglasses, a neon pink T-shirt, acid-washed jean shorts and walking in a life-sized box made to look like Barbie store packaging, Ressler was a “Limited Edition Eighties Barbie.”

Not far away from Ressler was Frank Wolf, of Uniontown, or “Hot Ken” in a blond wig, a baby blue T-shirt with the name “Ken” emblazoned on it in pink letters and a pink lei.

“It’s fun to have a great big group of people who are not afraid to have fun and be silly,” said his wife, Niki Wolf, who was wearing a bright pink dress with white polka dots to the event.

People sat shoulder to shoulder in folding chairs along Johnson’s main street watching the event that lasted less than 45 minutes.

John and Ida Curtis, of Lewiston, were among them in matching red, white and blue overalls. They had silly string on hand they planned to to unleash on friends riding motorized scooters in the parade.

The timing of the Johnson parade is perfect for the Curtis’ holiday festivities. They both would be in bed hours before Clarkston’s fireworks because they have early shifts today at Costco.

“I like the fact that it’s small town and everything is very community-oriented,” she said.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.