Madras marked the 250th birthday of the United States on Saturday with a full day of patriotic celebration — a morning run, a colorful parade through downtown, and an evening fireworks display that lit up the high desert sky.
Todd Beamer Memorial Run Kicks Off the Day
The festivities began early with the 30th annual Todd Beamer Memorial Run at Sahalee Park, offering a 10K, a 4K, and a two-mile fun run. The event honors Todd Beamer, a Madras man who drowned in 1997 while trying to save his four family dogs from an irrigation siphon. Proceeds from the run go toward student-athlete scholarships in the area.
A Parade Filled with Community Pride
The Madras Fourth of July Parade began near Madras Elementary School and stretched through town to the Jefferson County Library, with residents of all ages lining the streets to catch candy tossed from floats. Organizations from across Jefferson County participated, including the Madras Police Department, Jefferson County Fire & EMS, the Crooked River Ranch ATV group, and the Madras Community Food Pantry.
This year's parade featured a special tribute: several veterans served as co-grand marshals in honor of the nation's 250th anniversary.
"Our pride, respect and reverence for veterans and military service runs deep," said Debbie Taylor, executive director of the Madras-Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the parade. "My husband and I are proud to say our fathers have served in the military and we also have family actively serving now."
Veteran Leonard Parsons, who served 20 years during the Vietnam War era, rode on the Veterans of Foreign Wars float. "It's 250 years of freedom," Parsons said. "All of us veterans, we signed that line to serve our country, protect our country, protect our freedoms. That's what today is all about."
Voices from the Crowd
The parade drew residents from across the county and beyond. K'karie Bibler brought her family, calling it "a family gathering time for us — we celebrate our independence and just have a good time." Jose Serrano described it simply as "a wonderful day."
Claudio Banks, who was born in Cuba and came to the United States at age 6, offered a particularly moving perspective. "This is a land of freedom," Banks said, watching his daughters — both born in the U.S. — enjoy the festivities. "The people together celebrating is such a beautiful, beautiful experience."
Evening Fireworks Cap the Day
The day wrapped up with a fireworks display put on by Madras Sparklers. Crooked River Ranch also hosted its own safe fireworks event at Ranch Chapel, organized by Crooked River Ranch Fire and Rescue, where residents could bring their own fireworks in a supervised setting.