Thousands of Webster County residents and visitors from around the area lined Gowrie’s Market Street on Monday morning for the annual Independence Day parade.

“Look at all those American flags,” 4-year-old Oliver Wiggins, of Jefferson, exclaimed as floats filled with 270 American flags rolled past him at the start of the parade. Each flag represents a deceased veteran buried at the Gowrie Township Cemetery or a past member of the American Legion Peterson Post No. 431.

Rowan Passow, 5, of Fort Dodge, is pretty sure she got five pounds of candy.

“I loved it,” she said, though she couldn’t decide whether her favorite part was the candy or seeing the horses in the parade. She added that she was looking forward to the evening’s fireworks.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Gowrie Tire and Service representatives throw out candy during the Gowrie Fourth of July parade on Monday morning.

Gowrie’s celebrations really kicked off Sunday night with the Gowrie Growth Group (G3G) street dance in front of Ole Town Road Pub and Eatery on Market Street.

Ole Town Road owner Melisa Carlson said there were a couple thousand people at the street dance. She said the event is one of G3G’s two main fundraisers throughout the year.

“The money raised goes for scholarships for seniors at Southeast Valley and when COVID hit, they gave small businesses around the area money to help out,” Carlson said.

G3G has been sponsoring the Independence Day street dance for many, many years, she said.

Gowrie’s Independence Day celebrations truly are a community collaboration, Carlson said. The American Legion Post No. 431 leads the efforts with sponsoring the carnival and craft fair in City Park and hosting a pork loin dinner, BINGO and raffle. The Southeast Valley FFA chapter hosted a tractor ride on Saturday morning. On Monday, the Xi Eta Sigma sorority held their traditional Cow Pie Bingo game and the Gowrie Area Arts Council sponsored the Bill Riley Talent Show.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Members of the Xi Eta Sigma Sorority pass out candy and sell Cow Pie Bingo tickets during Gowrie's Fourth of July parade on Monday morning.

G3G also sponsored Monday morning’s Freedom 5K Fun Run/Walk. The Gowrie Volunteer Fire Department started Monday morning with a pancake breakfast at the Fire Station, and ended the night with the fireworks show.

Independence Day gives Gowrie residents and businesses the opportunity to show off their town.

“We’re well-known for our Fourth of July festival,” Carlson said.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Tryce Rose, 2 1/2, takes a turn steering the Webster County Emergency Management truck with Emergency Management Coordinator Dylan Hagen and his mom, Sheanelle Rose, during Gowrie's Fourth of July parade on Monday morning.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
POET Bioprocessing employees pass out candy during the Gowrie Fourth of July parade on Monday morning.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Webster County Auditor Doreen Pliner hands out candy during Monday's Independence Day parade in Gowrie.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Stella McLaughlin, 6, and her sister Evelyn, 3, and dad Jeremy, all of Fort Dodge, watch as the parade floats roll by during Gowrie's Fourth of July parade on Monday morning.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
The annual Gowrie Independence Day parade rolls down Market Street on Monday morning.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Pierce Woodruff, the 2021 Webster County Fair King throws out candy at the Gowrie Independence Day parade on Monday morning. Woodruff rode in the parade with 2021 Webster County Fair Queen Morgan Farnham.