About 60 kids and parents pedaled into the Douglas Community Library parking garage to add some flair to their two-wheeled transportation on Wednesday. Bikes and scooters were adorned in sparkly red, white and blue decorations before their debut in the Fourth of July children’s parade during the Douglas parade. The decorating event is co-sponsored by the Douglas Community Library and the Douglas 4th of July Committee.
“We have a whole section of just kids and all their bikes and trikes, or just kids themselves, if they don’t have wheels, decorated to come in and be part of the fun,” said Maggie Swanson, president of the Douglas 4th of July Committee. “Douglas likes to celebrate kids and families and community, and that’s what this is all about.”
Laughter and a chorus of bicycle bells rang off the walls of the garage as families taped, tied and wove accessories onto bikes and scooters. Each decorating station featured a variety of patriotically colored ribbons, tinsel, stickers, flags, pinwheels and garland. Some riders even decked themselves out with beaded necklaces and paper leis.
The handlebar ribbon streamers were 5-year-old Neva Reeder’s favorite decoration, complementing the three precisely placed glittery blue star stickers on her bike’s frame. Reeder said her favorite part of the parade is that “we get candy.”
Some parents took an active role in the business of bike design. Rachel Hightower fit an impressive number of decorations on her 2-year-old daughter Carmen’s tricycle, taking some extra supplies home to make her bike festive to match.
“We wanted to go for the look of ponytails and lots, lots, lots — just everything,” Hightower said.
• Ellie Ruel can be contacted via editor@juneauempire.com.
