Parade all about tradition

PROVO — For Lt. Col. Mark Bramwell, the Grand Parade of America's Freedom Festival is about more than high-stepping horses, glittering floats and marching bands.

"I don't even like parades," he admitted with a chuckle, shielding his mouth from the gaze of nearby relatives with his hand.

But the Marine, 44, hasn't missed a parade since the '80s when he moved to Provo to attend Brigham Young University. For Bramwell, and many of the 25,000 Utahns who lined University Avenue and Center Street in Provo to watch the festivities Wednesday, parades are about tradition.

Of course, Bramwell, who served in the Gulf War and has done two tours in Iraq, hasn't always made it to the parade in person. The past two years, he's had to call his family on parade day from Baghdad.

"Last year he called right when the Air Force jets flew over at the start of the parade," said his wife, Malinda Bramwell, 41. "Everyone kinda yells, 'hey!' and he can hear everyone in the background."

The parade is such a popular tradition for Utah County families that securing enough room for brothers, cousins, aunts and uncles can be tough.

Ann Seamons staked out some grass last Saturday — four days before the parade was scheduled to begin. In addition to checking the area twice a day, Seamons kept busy in the kitchen preparing food for about 65 friends and family members. She set up a full buffet of breakfast finger foods and snacks under the family's shade canopy.

"We used to set up cook stoves and cook breakfast, but then there just got to be too many of us," she said. "We had to switch to food we could make ahead of time or pick up."

Seamons wasn't the only one who showed up to the parade early to ensure a seat. The road was littered with blankets and air mattresses. Some sleepy college students didn't even sit up to watch floats, ranging from patriotic to whimsical in theme, pass by.

Calvin Williams, 18; Funaki Asisi, 17; and Ray Gonzales, 18, set up camp on the side of the road on Sunday and haven't moved since. Last year they only spent two nights on the street, but this year they wanted to take the tradition to a new level.

"Three nights sleeping on the grass with tree roots sticking in me everywhere — I'm definitely having some back problems," Gonzales said.