Despite cloudy and rainy weather that loomed over a large portion of Saturday morning in Vonore, enthusiastic crowds gathered and vibrantly decorated golf carts lined Nunnehi Trail for Kahite’s annual Fourth of July parade and breakfast.
Twenty-eight units, ranging from local neighborhood golf carts to Monroe County Sheriff Tommy Jones and the county fire department, all played a part in the festivities Saturday morning. One by one, parade co-coordinator Nelson Ledbetter allowed participants through the neighborhood. Each unit was met with a round of applause, and many residents on carts tossed candy to children along the street.
“We try to get them to follow a patriotic theme though,” Linda Ledbetter, co-coordinator for the Kahite parade, said. “They’re all really creative. It’s interesting to see what all they come up with every year. It’s always different.”
This year’s total of 28 surpassed last year by four units.
Linda Ledbetter said she credited the parade’s rise in attendance and participation to getting the word out more about the local event.
She said the judging system was tweaked this year. Instead of longtime judge Len Willis making the final call on the winning carts, the parade committee gave the go-ahead to a three-judge system. Willis instead became the parade’s grand marshal, and he took part in the trek through the neighborhood in his grand marshal vehicle.
“It’s just a great event for Kahite and all the relatives that are here, all the kids,” Willis said. “You don’t see this many kids anytime else during the year, and they seem to get a kick out of it, and it’s an honor for me to be asked to do this based on the work I’ve done in Tellico Village and Kahite.
“... The parade itself has pretty much been pretty stable as far as the number of entries, and they line the street,” he added. “So, I’m happy that it’s been able to maintain it after those number of years.”
The Uncle Sam Award was given to the Robert and Roberta Johns for their cart, Four Score and Seven Beers Ago.
In attendance were member of the Volunteer Clowns of Tellico Village, including Yvonne George, otherwise known as Kahite Klown Katy.
“This parade is a tradition,” George said. “It’s the greatest parade I’ve ever been to, Fourth of July parade I’ve ever been to.”
Many from the Tellico Village Kahite Women’s Organization were seen brandishing the TVKWO sign as they walked along the parade route, decked head to toe in red, white and blue. The women’s organization was advertising the group’s fundraising efforts called “Pot of Gold.” TVKWO won the parade’s Best Ensemble award.
“This is what we call our fundraising,” Sue Amiot, TVKWO secretary, said before the parade. “Fundraising is the pot of gold, which means we give a party or host an event, whatever you want, whether it’s (to) learn how to bake a pie, learn how to make jewelry, and then what money we raise from that we give to a (local organization).”
Kahite resident Kay Myers and her husband, Royal, were there for the fourth time in four years. Kay Myers said the couple had owned property in the Village for eight years, but had only lived here for four years. She said she loved that everybody got together and enjoyed the parade.
“The little kids line the road, and they seem to have a good time,” Kay Myers said. “We’ve done it with our grandkids every year, except they’re not here this year.”
Other winners included Don and Kathy Theis for Best Patriotic Theme, Bill and Cindy Westgate for Best Family Theme, Ed and Yvonne George for Spirit Award and Randy and Miriam Fisher and Ken and Jolyne Thoreson for Best Auto/Truck.
After the parade, residents gathered at the pavilion next to the playground for a continental breakfast.
Villager Irmi Newman, who recently became a United States citizen after moving from Germany, was asked to lead in the pledge of allegiance.
“Any of the residents here in Kahite who want to participate in breakfast or in the parade are invited to come,” Linda Ledbetter said. “We charge $1, and we have always charged $1. A lot of the ladies here in the neighborhood baked homemade muffins, and we serve fruit and muffins.”
