Record Breaking FUN!
May 19, 2021 12:00AM ● By By Seti Long
Smiling, waving, carrying flags and showing their patriotic colors, Gridley area youth teams came out strong this Red Suspenders Day! Photo by Seti Long
Gridley Celebrates Best Red Suspenders Day in Years
GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) -Many would agree that the 60th annual Red Suspenders Days, with this year’s theme, Celebrating Our Youth, was absolutely one of the BEST Red Suspenders Day events in recent history!
Due to COVID-19, this was the first large community event that has been held in over a year. And man, did people turn out! The Gridley Area Chamber of Commerce agrees that the crowd was huge this year. But with vendors, attractions, activities and more spread out, and with other social distancing measures taken, you would not have guessed there were thousands in attendance.
Food vendors ran out of food! Lines were an hour long at the shaved ice spots. Bob Treaux of the Gridley Area Chamber of Commerce, who was also assisting the Gridley Lions bratwurst booth, says they tried to restock but “the crowd was simply overwhelming.”
Regardless of food shortages, everyone was having a great time! People were glad to be back together as a community. Careful planning and the dedication of volunteers made the activities, events, parade and car shows one of the best on record!
The day kicked off with the Little League Pancake Breakfast and quickly transitioned into the Bed Races. No doubt jacked on maple syrup, this year’s bed racing teams were comprised of the Presbyterian Church Youth team and little league teams: the Giants, the Braves, and the Dodgers. As the first set of beds took off down Virginia Street pushed by the Giants and Dodgers, it was clear the competition was going to get heated. There were a couple of hang-ups, literally, as the beds got stuck together twice, wild all-in-fun accusations of cheating, and claims that the Napa Butte Auto bed was rigged because it always seemed to win. When all was said and done, First Presbyterian Youth Group took home first place of $250, followed by Dodgers in 2nd and Giants coming in 3rd.
It is yet to be seen if it is a good or bad omen, but a photo-shoot after the win on the die-hard Napa Butte Auto bed ended in an ominous yet laughable finish to the 60-year anniversary of the bed races. Under the weight of the little league racers, the Napa Butte Auto bed collapsed!! Councilman and Chamber Member Zach Torres assured that we will all see the infamous bed repaired and ready for next year.
Shortly thereafter, Motorcycle Officer Roberts cleared the parade route and singers Maddie Miller and Kari Wheeler treated viewers to beautiful renditions of the National Anthem. A color guard courtesy of CALFIRE ushered in the parade. What commenced was one of the longest Red Suspenders Day parades on record - over an hour long! Joe Dewsnup accompanied by wife Crystal, served as Parade Grand Marshal, and depending on where you were sitting, either Jeff Unck, Brian Bassett, or David Bassett were your emcees. This year’s Couple of the Year was Dan and Mary Boeger for their donation of the use of the Wildfires Distribution Center building. Over 20 firefighting units were part of the show, including vintage military vehicles, and the Amigos de Caballo dancing horses. First place and a $250 prize went to Apples to Zebras Preschool for their float in the parade, 2nd place to Gridley Youth Sports, and 3rd place to Barefoot Dance company. Honorable mentions went to Claude the Dragon and Amigos de Caballo.
The first ever Red Suspenders Day Car Show was a huge hit, with one of the strongest turn out of vehicles Gridley has seen in an exceptionally long time. Vehicles included U.S. classics, European classics, including some VW’s, motorcycles, and even tractors. Categories were: Best Interior – 1st place: Tim Murphy, 1940 Ford Coupe; Best Engine – 1st place: Wes Boone, Orange 1953 Chevy Pickup with 468 big block blower motor; Best Paint – 1st place: Eleazar Aceves – 1990 Chevy ½ ton truck; Best of Show - Ralph Blackburn, 1957 Chevy; and People’s Choice - Merv and Betty Howell, 1953 Buick. Best Tractor went to Steve Stark, and Best Motorcycle went to Officer Roberts and his Gridley Police Department bike.
Helicopter flyovers, Disney princesses, Firemen Games, Pony Rides and Pony Plop all combined to make one heck of a good time last weekend. On that note, the Gridley Area Chamber of Commerce would like to thank everyone that made this event so amazing – Thank you Firefighters! Not to mention volunteers, sponsors, participants and more that made the 2021 Red Suspenders Days such a huge success!!!
