Although the borough has hosted Christmas and Memorial Day parades in the past, Saturday was the first time hosting a Fourth of July parade, according to coordinator Ron Springer.

“We just want to bring the people together, have a bit of a festive event,” he said.

Springer remembered the nation’s bicentennial celebration in 1976 when the borough brought the courthouse bell from the attic into the lobby, but this year’s events are much more grand.

“I don’t remember that much stuff being done as what’s going on now,” he said.

Mirror photo by Colette Costlow / Parade-watchers wave American flags as cars and trucks drive down the street.

He expected a few floats to be in the parade, including Uncle Sam and Rose Hill Farm, who also carried the Cambria County America250PA Liberty Bell in the back of their unit, but a lot of it relied on unknown variables, as the borough invited the public to participate as well. The parade line up started at 9 a.m. for those interested.

About 10 a.m., the route began at the Ebensburg Library and traveled down North Center Street before turning onto West High Street, up North Julian Street and returning to the library.

As the president of Dauntless Fire Company, Springer said they were planning on pulling a hand wagon from the 1800s and another from 1927 in the parade to “fill some historical void there with some fire apparatus.”

“You should be proud of your heritage,” he said. “So it’s important that, number one, we touch upon that, our past, and it’s nice to get people together. Hopefully we have a nice crowd that observes it.”

Recent pole bending champion in the All-American Youth Horse Show, Reagan Murtin, 14, was excited to take part in the parade alongside her friend, Reese Pinizzotto, 15, and their horses.

Mirror photo by Colette Costlow / Cambria County's America250PA bell sits on Rose Hill Farm's float Saturday morning.

Murtin was wearing red and blue necklaces and a blue tutu, while her four-legged friend was sporting a blue, curly wig. Likewise, Pinizzotto wore an American flag cowboy hat and a red, white and blue skirt, and her horse, Jimmy, had red and blue ribbons in his hair and “250” painted on his back.

Murtin and Pinizzotto wanted to make a fashion statement Saturday morning.

“We were calling, and we were like, ‘hey, we have to make this big and bold, and we need to make it noticeable and fun,'” Murtin said.

Incorporating horses in the parade will also turn heads, she said, which is nice because many residents don’t see horses as often.

“Whenever you show up and you have them, it’s kind of cool to see everyone’s face light up,” she said.

Mirror photo by Colette Costlow / Uncle Sam — also known as Bill Goughnour — is pictured riding through the streets of Ebensburg to spread American cheer.

While not an actual horse, American Legion County Fair Queen Lilyann Strait rode in her grandfather’s 2005 Ford Mustang, which was decorated with red, white and blue flowers and red and silver balloons.

She said she was feeling very patriotic that morning.

“To see the whole community come together for such a big year for America is great to see,” Strait, 17, said. “It’s impressive how many people want to be a part of this event.”

As the 2025 county fair queen, she’s also taken part in the borough’s Christmas and Memorial Day parades, but this event was the biggest one she’s been a part of by far.

Mineral Point resident Bill Goughnour is still new when it comes to parade participation, but that didn’t take away from his shining presence as Uncle Sam riding a motorcycle Saturday morning.

Mirror photo by Colette Costlow / Hastings resident Catherine Duman wore her tricorn hat for the Ebensburg parade Saturday morning, remembering the American Revolution that started the nation's history 250 years ago.

He recently wore the costume for South Fork’s Heritage Days parade, but he didn’t expect to make a reappearance at Ebensburg’s show.

“My mom showed pictures of it (South Fork parade) to ladies at church, and one of the ladies asked me last Sunday if I was going to be in the parade up here,” he said. “I said, ‘I didn’t know nothing about it.'”

He handpainted the motorcycle he rode about six years ago, which included red stripes and white stars, channeling the pattern on the American flag.

With 22 years of serving in the Army under his belt, he said he wanted to participate in this year’s parade to uplift people in the crowds.

“Good for the giggles,” he said.

Veterans made a significant presence in the parade, as Ebensburg’s VFW and Auxiliary group featured about 23 members in and around the float.

VFW Quartermaster and Navy veteran Bob Slebodnick said the group showed onlookers that they should be proud Americans — of what they have and what was already established.

Arriving in style, cousins Addie and Hadley Staruch, both 8, brought their decorated scooters to the parade line-up, ready to roll down the Ebensburg streets.

Hadley’s mother, Erin, said she saw the borough’s online post encouraging the public to bring their bicycles and scooters and participate in the parade. Being an Ebensburg resident, she didn’t know of the borough hosting an Independence Day parade before.

“We definitely wanted to do it,” she said. “We love all the little things that our town has to offer, especially with the parade.”

After the parade, Rose Hill Farm workers were getting their two Percheron horses ready for traveling back to Mineral Point, along with the borrowed Cambria County America250 bell.

Owner Brady Hamady knew the bell’s artist, Carol Cecere, as he took her art class in high school, which was how he was able to borrow it for Saturday’s parade.

“I think it (the bell) represents everything that’s special about our area,” he said, referencing the various locations included on the bell such as the Inclined Plane and Staple Bend Tunnel.

Cruising past crowds of people on their float that morning, he noticed the amount of community support the event received.

“It was great to see such great participation in crowds and the applause and it’s just nice to see the community coming out and supporting something like this,” he said.

As the parade passes by

The sidewalks of downtown Ebensburg were packed Saturday morning, with some onlookers sitting in lawn chairs, on blankets, on benches or on the curb. Children were wearing festive clothes and grabbing candy off the streets.

Philadelphia resident Petra Philip and her mother, Yvonne, were sitting on the curb while watching the parade pass them by. They were in town for the holiday visiting their friends.

Rather than participating in a large-scale celebration in Philadelphia, Petra and Yvonne wanted to watch Ebensburg’s parade to see a celebration in a small town.

While they weren’t in the country to celebrate the nation’s 200th anniversary in 1976, Petra said it was neat to see how people are commemorating 250 years.

A little further along the parade route was Ginger Watt of Ebensburg.

She believed the country was more united during the nation’s bicentennial celebration.

“It was more joyful for everybody,” she said. “It’s just not the way things are today.”

There were more patriotic events during America’s 200th celebration, and everyone went, she said. However, the attitude toward celebrating is different today.

Ebensburg resident Dorothy Collins also thought semiquincentennial celebrations were lowkey compared to 50 years ago, considering current foreign affairs. But events like Ebensburg’s parade are what unites a community in difficult times.

She said, “this is bringing more people together, with everything going on overseas, everyone’s looking for peace, celebration and the blessing of America being 250 years.”

Thinking back 250 years ago, the founding fathers wore tricorn hats, which was a popular fashion choice at the time. Channeling that trend, Hastings resident and Cambria Heights substitute teacher Catherine Duman wore her very own hat while draping an American flag over her shoulders.

“I’m just excited to be an American, I’m excited to be here. I’m so grateful every day that I live in a free country,” she said.

She has a degree in history, and she encourages others to at least become interested in the history of their nation, state or community.

Those who don’t remember their history lose their identity, she said, adding that it’s the reason why conquerors try to erase or change history instead of preserving it for future generations to understand.

“So if we as Americans forget what our founding fathers believed, what they stood for, why we fight for freedom, we’re going to lose our identity, we’re going to lose our freedoms, we’re going to lose our place in this world,” she said.

“If you don’t remember your past, you’re not going to have a future,” she said.

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.