Raising Old Glory

Caitlyn Bagley sings The Star Spangled Banner during the flag-raising ceremony Wednesday, July 4, on 5th Street after the parade. Helping to raise the flag are members of Custer VFW Post 3442, the Custer American Legion, the Boy Scouts and the Crazy Horse Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol. 

Crowds of residents and visitors alike lined up all along Mount Rushmore Road on Wednesday, July 4, for the Kids Parade and the Patriots Parade which began at 10 a.m. The event was sponsored by the Custer Area Chamber of Commerce.

 Dave Ressler,  chamber executive director, said the whole event was great and more than he expected. 

“Even though it was the first time for the parade, it seemed to be enjoyed by everyone and was a great way to promote the city,” he said.

Thirty-three entries, represented by 23 organizations, participated, along with numerous children in the Kids Parade.

 Robin Bagley, chamber office manager, said the two-day event went very well. 

“We had great turnout on July 3 for the fair and entertainment, and the number of people who came out on July 4 to celebrate was fantastic!” she said. “The B-1 bomber flyover was a huge success — people were so excited to see it fly so low over the city. The parade was a huge success; we were very pleased with the number of entries in this first-time event, and we’ve received positive feedback about it. Also, the flag ceremonies were well-received by people; we had a lot of people who said that they had never seen one before, so that was a good experience for them.”