The Independence Day celebrations in Skagway are like no other on the planet. It’s a free-for-all of food, games, parades, and more. KHNS’ Mike Swasey talked with Jaime Bricker from the Fourth of July Ad Hoc Committee to break down the events.

That was a conversation between KHNS’ Mike Swasey and Jaime Bricker from the Skagway Fourth of July Ad Hoc Committee breaking down just some of the holiday weekend events. You can follow the Facebook Livestream of the parade featuring Skagway Assemblyperson Orion Hanson, and KHNS’ own Mike Swasey starting at 10 am Sunday.

Swasey – All right, so starting on the third, there’s sports. We’ve got softball and different events this year like an accuracy-hitting contest.

Bricker – Yeah, the Skagway Softball Association has agreed to set up a hitting accuracy competition for ages 12 and up at Seven Pastures. And that starts at 3 pm on July 3, and immediately following that there will be a Home Run Derby open to all adults.

Swasey – So if I enter this thing, I could be hitting against a 12-year-old… 

Bricker – Quite possibly, yes.

Swasey – …And losing, terribly, to a 12-year-old. Okay, I’m ready for that. Also on the third is going to be the singles cornhole tournament after cornhole there’s a little break and then (the rock band0 New Twin is playing at the Red Onion. And then, is there (going to be) fireworks on the third this year? 

Bricker – Ooh, see that is… That’s debatable. 

Swasey – I feel like this happens every year. They keep us in suspense as to whether it’s gonna be fireworks or not. 

Bricker – They leave us lying in wait.

Skagway kids enjoying the parade -photo by Reba Hylton

Swasey – I know the anticipation. Alright, so we just don’t know about fireworks. But let’s say the celebration goes deep into the night. 8 am is a fun run, 9:30 is the kiddie parade, and then 10 am is the start of the main parade. And tell me a little bit about the big parade starting with I suppose, the grand marshalls. 

Bricker – Our 2021 grand marshals are Si and Cheryl Dennis very exciting. They will lead the parade just behind a banner that Jean Worley has handcrafted for the parade like she has loyally and lovingly done for years. It’s the first to my knowledge that has been translated in both English and Tlingit language.

Swasey – So the parade theme in English this year is “Skagway We Are One,” but there’s no way I can pronounce the Tlingit version of that. So we’ve got Lance Twitchell from the University of Alaska Southeast. He’s an associate professor of Alaska Native languages and he sent us a translation

Lance Twitchell – Shgagwéi Ḵu.oo: Ch’a Tléix’í Yáx̱ Uháan

Swasey – Easy for you to say, Lance. Alright, 11:30 am is going to be the slow bike race then 12 pm – 2 is the coed basketball tourney. At noon, also they’re going to do a pizza toss at the Red Onion. Then the egg toss is at one o’clock and I believe Skagway still holds the world record for the largest egg toss.

2020 Egg Toss Champs Andre Bykowski and Colton Jared – photo by Reba Hylton

Bricker – To my knowledge, yes. 

Swasey – 1:30 pm is the tug of war, 2 pm is the spike driving competition, and can anyone beat Brad Thoe?

Bricker – I wonder myself we’ve got some serious railroaders out there that show up year after year and definitely put a hurtin’ on competitors.

Swasey – And now after you get all the hunger worked up, the pie-eating contest at the Eagles is going to be at two o’clock followed by the 3 pm hot dog eating contest. Which is a little bit inverted this year because usually, you get the hotdogs and then go have dessert afterward. But they flipped it this year.

Bricker – Yeah, I mean, why not? Have your dessert first. We’re breaking the rules.

Swasey – You get a nice pie base and then you go right to the hotdogs. Then at four o’clock, you’ve got to pick. You can either do horseshoes or the doubles cornhole tournament. And then kind of the end of the festivities, as far as events go, is the Ducky Derby. How many duckies Are we going to have in the derby this year?

Bricker – This year, the Skagway Chamber of Commerce is still sponsoring the Ducky Derby and on a smaller version with 500 rubber duckies racing down Pullen Creek and finishing in Pullen Pond for your chance to win $500.

Swasey – Then of course, music, festivities, food, drink, all of that just kind of all day long and deep into the night. And there is no place I’d rather be on the Fourth of July than Skagway. It is an amazing event of just ridiculous proportions. 

Bricker – I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else Swasey.

You can find the entire list of events on the KHNS Facebook page, and follow the Facebook Livestream of the parade featuring Assemblyperson Orion Hanson, and KHNS’ own Mike Swasey starting at 10 am.