Revels return to Soldotna streets for 67th Progress Days
Published 9:30 pm Friday, July 26, 2024
Soldotna’s Marydale Avenue and Binkley Street on Saturday morning were lined with hundreds of people eagerly ringing in the 67th Progress Days with the traditional parade.
Political campaigns, local businesses, athletes and more took the streets in a procession that lasted well over an hour.
Central Emergency Services fire engines led the way, followed closely by this year’s Progress Days grand marshall, Kathy Gensel, and the Progress Days king and queen, Ryan and Lauri Kapp. Nugget the Moose also appeared.
Represented were Frontier Community Services, Heritage Place, Forever Dance Alaska, Aspen Creek Senior Living, AlaSkins, the Harvest Moon Local Food Festival, Special Olympics Alaska Central Peninsula, Century 21 Realty Solutions and others.
With Alaska’s primary election looming, many of the local candidates for the State Senate and House of Representatives seized the opportunity to get out in the sunshine and shake some hands. Sen. Jesse Bjorkman and Rep. Ben Carpenter, who are vying for the Senate District D seat, walked with the parade. Also participating in the parade were House District 7 candidates Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, and Ron Gillham. House District 8 candidates Bill Elam and John Hillyer also joined the celebration.
The parade started in the Soldotna High School parking lot, traveling up Marydale until turning right onto Binkley Street and running past the Kenai Peninsula Borough Administration Building. Shortly after, the parade dispersed, but Progress Days festivities continued through the day and weekend at a Block Party at Parker Park and other events around Soldotna.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/peninsulaclarion.
