Spirits of nation’s founding strong in differing ways for Juneau residents at this year’s July 4 events
- Mark Sabbatini
- Jul 4
- 9 min read
Updated: Jul 7
Some celebrate opportunities U.S. has provided, others say need to fight for freedoms is similar to 249 years ago
In these colorful times the "Spirit of 1776" meant very different things to Juneau residents participating in the 249th celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on Friday.
Ariel Hasse-Zamudio, just before joining more than 130 people involved with a "We The People: Protecting Our Democracy" float in the downtown Juneau parade, said she feels a lot like the people who signed that declaration might have. The float’s participants were from a range of local organizations, plus some unaffiliated individuals, who say they are again facing a fight for their freedoms.
"What we fought for in order to have our three branches of government — which are supposed to uphold the fact that we make our own decisions for ourselves, we're in charge of our own destinies in the land that we live in — right now that is under threat," she said. "Our congressional branch and our judicial branch, they are not doing their jobs. They're yielding too much power to the executive branch and so we are here to remind them that we are a constitutional nation."
Also, "a lot of people aren’t feeling heard right now," Hasse-Zamudio said.
The annual Fourth of July parade in Juneau, as well as other Independence Day events throughout the United States, came as President Donald Trump signed a budget bill that codifies much of his political agenda, which has caused immense upheaval since he began his second term in January. One of the most controversial parts of his agenda is an aggressive roundup and deportation policy, which critics say is violating human and legal rights.
But among the spectators at the downtown Juneau parade expressing optimism about the U.S. — and its opportunities past, present and future — was Jessica Paul, who moved from Mexico to Juneau with her family 27 years ago when she was eight years old. She said she worked hard to become a citizen at the age of 18, now works as a billing specialist for a power company, and her three kids have fifth-generation ties to Juneau through her husband.
"I’ve never felt held back," she said. "I’ve always been able to set a goal and accomplish it. I’ve worked hard and I’ve had a good life."
The Fourth of July is her favorite holiday, Paul said as she watched her kids scramble to pick up candy being thrown from the parade floats as they passed by.
"It’s just the community aspect of it and doing something to celebrate America," she said.
As is tradition in Juneau, the parade that began near the Douglas Bridge made a loop through downtown Juneau that took nearly two hours for all participants to make it back to the starting point. Annual awards were also presented, with the Ati-Atihan group with its Filipino music/dance festival performers repeating its best overall entry win from earlier years.
Among other winners were the Alaska Marine Highway as Most Alaskan, the Mendenhall Mall’s pirate-ship float (with candy-firing canon) that won most humorous and the Tafy Dance Alaska performers as the best youth entry.
After the downtown parade many of the same floats, participants and observers crossed the bridge and made the two-mile trip — by foot, vehicle or shuttle — to a broader ranger of afternoon events in downtown Douglas. A second parade featuring a subset of the downtown floats plus the addition of a multitude of kids who decorated their bikes, a sand castle contest, a soapbox car derby, food booths, field races, live music, and a fireman’s hose race comprised the familiar lineup of activities.
The crowds of people clustered in various parts of Douglas were also feeling plenty spirited in ways that for some were more rebelling than reveling.
Literally in a fighting mood at Savikko Park were members of the Society for Creative Anachronism, which had a medieval campsite, knights, swords and other things commonly used well before 1776 set up for family-friendly amusement. But a couple of members — who may have provided "pen names" since one matched a character from Final Fantasy XIV — said the day was largely a chance to get together and possibly attract new members since they didn’t feel like celebrating July 4 given current events.
"This is fun," the Final Fantasy namesake said. "This is with our lovely family group. This is just an excuse to hang out on another day instead of our usual meetup time."
Meanwhile, on a hillside street above the park where the soapbox derby was taking place, a caped crusader emerged from the crowd to both save the day for a kid in need and offer a more patriotic outlook.
James McSweeney III was a mild-mannered spectator in the crowd until one youthful racer’s car kept swerving and crashing into the side barriers of the course. When the wayward racer crashed near McSweeney he dashed from the crowd — wearing an American flag as a cape, it turned out — and speeded the car to the finish line with firm guiding hands and legs from behind.
The cape, McSweeney explained afterward, is a somewhat frayed flag from the Malaspina state ferry that he saved when it was replaced by a newer one. He said that job — and other things he’s celebrating this Fourth of July — are because of the opportunities living in the U.S. has provided.
"I grew up extremely poor and I through my own work have made my life very nice," he said.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
More July 4, 2025, photos in downtown Juneau and Douglas
In these colorful times the "Spirit of 1776" meant very different things to Juneau residents participating in the 249th celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on Friday.
Ariel Hasse-Zamudio, just before joining more than 130 people involved with a "We The People: Protecting Our Democracy" float in the downtown Juneau parade, said she feels a lot like the people who signed that declaration might have. The float’s participants were from a range of local organizations, plus some unaffiliated individuals, who say they are again facing a fight for their freedoms.
"What we fought for in order to have our three branches of government — which are supposed to uphold the fact that we make our own decisions for ourselves, we're in charge of our own destinies in the land that we live in — right now that is under threat," she said. "Our congressional branch and our judicial branch, they are not doing their jobs. They're yielding too much power to the executive branch and so we are here to remind them that we are a constitutional nation."
Also, "a lot of people aren’t feeling heard right now," Hasse-Zamudio said.
The annual Fourth of July parade in Juneau, as well as other Independence Day events throughout the United States, came as President Donald Trump signed a budget bill that codifies much of his political agenda, which has caused immense upheaval since he began his second term in January. One of the most controversial parts of his agenda is an aggressive roundup and deportation policy, which critics say is violating human and legal rights.
But among the spectators at the downtown Juneau parade expressing optimism about the U.S. — and its opportunities past, present and future — was Jessica Paul, who moved from Mexico to Juneau with her family 27 years ago when she was eight years old. She said she worked hard to become a citizen at the age of 18, now works as a billing specialist for a power company, and her three kids have fifth-generation ties to Juneau through her husband.
"I’ve never felt held back," she said. "I’ve always been able to set a goal and accomplish it. I’ve worked hard and I’ve had a good life."
The Fourth of July is her favorite holiday, Paul said as she watched her kids scramble to pick up candy being thrown from the parade floats as they passed by.
"It’s just the community aspect of it and doing something to celebrate America," she said.
As is tradition in Juneau, the parade that began near the Douglas Bridge made a loop through downtown Juneau that took nearly two hours for all participants to make it back to the starting point. Annual awards were also presented, with the Ati-Atihan group with its Filipino music/dance festival performers repeating its best overall entry win from earlier years.
Among other winners were the Alaska Marine Highway as Most Alaskan, the Mendenhall Mall’s pirate-ship float (with candy-firing canon) that won most humorous and the Tafy Dance Alaska performers as the best youth entry.
After the downtown parade many of the same floats, participants and observers crossed the bridge and made the two-mile trip — by foot, vehicle or shuttle — to a broader ranger of afternoon events in downtown Douglas. A second parade featuring a subset of the downtown floats plus the addition of a multitude of kids who decorated their bikes, a sand castle contest, a soapbox car derby, food booths, field races, live music, and a fireman’s hose race comprised the familiar lineup of activities.
The crowds of people clustered in various parts of Douglas were also feeling plenty spirited in ways that for some were more rebelling than revelling.
Literally in a fighting mood at Savikko Park were members of the Society for Creative Anachronism, which had a medieval campsite, knights, swords and other things commonly used well before 1776 set up for family friendly amusement. But a couple of members — who may have provided "pen names" since one matched a character from Final Fantasy XIV — said the day was largely a chance to get together and possibly attract new members since they didn’t feel like celebrating July 4 given current events.
"This is fun," the Final Fantasy namesake said. "This is with our lovely family group. This is just an excuse to hang out on another day instead of our usual meetup time."
Meanwhile, on a hillside street above the park where the soapbox derby was taking place, a caped crusader emerged from the crowd to both save the day for a kid in need and offer a more patriotic outlook.
James McSweeney III was a mild-mannered spectator in the crowd until one youthful racer’s car kept swerving and crashing into the side barriers of the course. When the wayway racer crashed near McSweeney he dashed from the crowd — wearing an American flag as a cape, it turned out — and speeded the car to the finish line with firm guiding hands and legs from behind.
The cape, McSweeney explained afterward, is a somewhat frayed flag from Malaspina state ferry that he saved when it was replaced by a newer one. He said that job — and other things he’s celebrating this Fourth of July — are because of the opportunities living in the U.S. has provided.
"I grew up extremely poor and I through my own work have made my life very nice," he said.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
More July 4, 2025, photos in downtown Juneau and Douglas
