This year’s Old Miners’ Days Parade, in celebration of 60 years of Old Miners’ festivities, included 140 or so entries that marched, rolled and trotted down Big Bear Boulevard and, for the first time in five years, the Village L as well. Given the theme “60 Years ’n’ Still Kickin’,” the 14 local floats played with the kickin’ theme, though the Big Bear Cowboy Gathering took top honors in this respect, earning the Old Miners’ Award; the Big Bear Valley Historical Society won the Float Sweepstakes Award for best overall float for their entry, which also included burros and a wolf. The top civic float went to Dancers Anonymous, which represented the 65 dance students in the Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District dance program. Best service club float was awarded to the flappers of the Chambermaids with their theme “over 60 and still kickin’”; a similar idea by the Kiwanis Club earned them a second place trophy. The Boy Scouts of America Troop #49 of the Big Bear Valley took top honors in the youth float category; their elaborate float, which was designed by the scouts, included canoes, boxcar racers, fishermen and a giant stuffed bear. This year’s parade (on August 2) also included the Lions Club with their water-shooting firetruck, the just-restored 1936 REO firetruck of the Big Bear City Fire Department (manned by Fire Chief Jeff Willis and County Supervisor Neil Derry), the return of Miss Clementine Keli Homan, Grand Marshall Chief Master Sergeant Noel Furniss, and the flyover of two F18 Hornets from the U.S. Navy. For a complete list of float winners, see our August 2 posting.
