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The Banner Elk Fourth of July Parade Brought Red, White and Blue Festivities to the High Country

On Tuesday, July4, Banner Elk celebrated Independence Day with a festive parade that was host to patriotic Banner Elk residents clad in red, white and blue. The parade started at 11 a.m. in downtown Banner Elk and drew a hearty crowd of individuals and families who wanted to celebrate the nation’s freedom in the most spectacular way. 

“The parade was a huge success,” Jo-Ann McMurray, President of the Banner Elk Chamber of Commerce said. “There were a lot of parade participants and the crowd was enormous. They were all very happy, clapping and laughing and having a good time.”

With so many people dressed up for the parade and strutting their stuff through the procession, it’s safe to say that this 4th of July celebration was an incredibly successful one, bringing the community together as they all celebrated the nation with one another. 

However, that wasn’t the only thing being celebrated yesterday. 

According to McMurray, a man named Matt Aznaran did an incredibly special thing. As he walked through the parade, surrounded by American flags and masses upon masses of people, Aznaran held up a banner, specially made for his girlfriend Heather Walter, that said, “Heather, will you marry me?”

“She said yes! It was very exciting. She had her whole family there,” McMurray said. “Her family clapped and then the crowd clapped. It was really cool.”

With everyone in the parade celebrating our nation and our freedom, as well as the special engagement between Aznaran and Walter, this year’s 4th of July Parade in Banner Elk was as festive as ever. 

Photo by Jan Todd: