(KCAW/Rose)

Sitkans showed up for the semiquincentennial celebration on Saturday — the 250th birthday of the United States. The annual parade is hosted by the Greater Sitka Chamber of Commerce, and this year the event saw high turnout.

In recent years, parade participants in Sitka typically line up Lake Street, and march around the roundabout before turning onto Lincoln Street. But with construction underway near Swan Lake, parade goers lined up on the Sheldon Jackson campus and in front of the Sitka Sound Science Center, marching the full length of the downtown thoroughfare.

View a selection of KCAW’s parade photos here :

Sitka’s military veterans marshalled the parade, which was organized by the Sitka Chamber of Commerce

Sitka Fine Arts Camp students brought music and art to the lineup (KCAW/Rose)

(KCAW/Rose)
(KCAW/Rose)
(KCAW/Rose)
Sitka High School Class of 1996 float (KCAW/Rose)
(KCAW/Rose)
The Daily Sitka Sentinel’s float highlighted the free press (KCAW/Rose)
National Parks Service mascot Buddy Bison (KCAW/Rose)
U.S. Coast Guard personnel from Air Station Sitka (KCAW/Rose)
Donald Duck (aka Rianna Bergman) shows off tickets for the annual Sitka Duck Race (KCAW/Rose)
KCAW spotted the Lorax among the crowd of Sitka Fine Arts Camp students (KCAW/Rose)
This unicycler led the float for State House Representative Rebecca Himschoot, who is running for re-election this year (KCAW/Rose)
(KCAW/Rose)