2026 Copper Valley 4th of July Parade Celebrates 250 Years of American Freedom

The Greater Copper Valley Chamber of Commerce was proud to host the 2026 4th of July Parade, themed "Celebrating 250 Years of American Freedom." Seventeen parade entries participated in this year's celebration, bringing patriotic spirit, creativity, and community pride to the Glenn Highway that passes through Glennallen.

This year's Grand Marshals were John and Carol Craig of Tazlina in the Copper River Valley.

John retired from the Ahtna contracted maintenance department for Alyeska Pipeline Service Company and served more than 20 years on the Ahtna Board of Directors. A military veteran, John has dedicated his life to serving both his country and his community. Carol has been a longtime leader in the Copper Valley and spent many years as an executive with Ahtna, where she helped develop the company's government contracting programs. Together, John and Carol have made lasting contributions to the Copper Valley community.

The Grand Marshals were transported in a 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner, the world's first mass-produced retractable hardtop convertible a/k/a The Gizmo Car. The Skyliner features its original 292 cubic-inch Y-block V8 engine with a two-barrel Holley carburetor, just as Ford built it nearly seventy years ago.

Congratulations to this year's parade winners:

1st Place – Bureau of Land Management: "BLM Has Been Managing Public Lands Since 1946"

2nd Place – Caribou Grill: "The Caribou is Celebrating 250 Years of Freedom"

3rd Place – National Park Service Youth Conservation Corps: "The Wrangell–St. Elias National Park & Preserve Youth Conservation Corps is proud to celebrate our country's 250th birthday. Our red, white, and blue '250' signs were hand-painted by the Junior Anglers and Youth Conservation Corps. Happy 4th of July!"

Following the parade and the Lions Club Salmon Bake, the Greater Copper Valley Chamber of Commerce sponsored the annual Kiddie Games. A special thank you goes to Jim Marchini for coordinating the games at the ball fields behind the Copper Valley Community Library.

The Chamber extends its sincere appreciation to everyone who participated, volunteered, and helped make this year's Independence Day celebration such a wonderful community event.