ARLINGTON — The Lilgreen and Howell families were always big fans of the Flintstones, so at the annual Kiddies Parade on Saturday, July 4, the parents of 2-year-old Madison Lilgreen and 1-year-old Zack Howell knew they needed to enter their own Pebbles and Bam-Bam in the contest.
Madison’s mom, Michelle Lilgreen, dressed as Wilma Flintstone, while Zack’s mom, Sarah Howell, dressed as Betty Rubble. Sarah’s father, Mark Lilgreen Sr., helped Michelle’s husband, Mark Lilgreen Jr., build a kid-sized replica of the Flintstones’ family car over the course of a few days.
“The hardest part was getting the car to move,” said Mark Jr., who made the front wheel out of a huge cardboard tube.
“The hardest part was getting the kids to cooperate,” said his wife. “They were naturals, though. Madison has red hair, and Zack just wants to hit things. If you ask them who they are now, they’ll say they’re Pebbles and Bam-Bam.”
The resemblance was enough to earn the cousins first place in the costume division of the Kiddies Parade.
Emmy Grisham is only 18 months old, too tiny to hold a pose or any of the toy tools in her tot-sized wagon, but she won first place the patriotic division with her Rosie the Riveter outfit and poster backdrop, complete with the World War II slogan “We Can Do It!”
“We wanted to do something a little different this Fourth of July,” said Emmy’s dad, Jerry Grisham, who even hauled along a rolling speaker playing wartime anthems. “Natalie, her mom, was in the Kiddies Parade when she was young, too.”
So was Bill Blake, who grudgingly admitted that must have been about 50 years ago. Bill spent four hours building the “Gone Fishin'” banner that he attached to his 4-year-old daughter Sophie’s red wagon, earning them first place in the wheels division.
As for the Grand Parade, Oso Community Chapel took first place in the Float entries, with Bad Dog Distillery second and Skookum Brewery third.In the Commercial entries, Playa Bonita Mexican Restaurant was first, EthaKill Bot Paintball Tank second and Winding Path Gardens third.Arlington Youth Cheer took first in the Junior Marching entries, followed by Arlington Community Band and Boy Scouts of American Troop 92.In the Classic and Vintage Car entries, Cascade Two Cylinder Club was first. Finishing second was the 1915 Model T Ford by Bob Kissinger. The Sky Valley Stock and Antique Tractor Club placed third.Rounding out the parade competition was the Specialty/Non-profit entries. The Arlington Combat Veterans placed first with Masonic Lodge 129 of Arlington second and The NOAH Center third.
