Quincy, like many small towns, is a community connected through tradition. The Plumas-Sierra County Fair Parade, which has drawn cheering crowds to line downtown Main Street since 1945, is one such tradition. Although it has faced challenges and changes over the course of its almost eight decades of operation – including COVID, funding cuts, and the merger of Sierra County Fair into Plumas County’s event — the parade continues to stand out as a summer highlight for local residents.
This year’s parade, held Saturday, July 26, was no exception. Folding chairs lined the sidewalks all the way from the Plumas County Courthouse to the Feather River Food Co-Op, with crowds of squealing children overflowing off the curbs into the blocked-off street. As folks meandered through on their way to find a spot, many paused to loudly greet each other and chat about the unusual weather, musing on the afternoon rain storms that had alleviated the normal sweltering heat of fair week. Families relaxed on blankets and stood in loose clusters as they waited for the 78th annual Plumas-Sierra County Fair Parade to begin.
According to KQNY general manager Tommy Miles, who has been announcing the parade for about a decade, there were around 25 entries this year. And while this Saturday’s event may not have been the biggest or flashiest parade Quincy has seen, it was full of heart. The crowds clapped for fire trucks, tow vehicles and honking semis loaded with logs, waving as trotting “unicorns” and 4-H floats passed by. The purr of engines marked the passage of classic cars, and high school athletes representing Quincy Junior-Senior High School cheered and handed out popsicles as they walked up Main Street. Kids screamed with joy as entrants threw handful after handful of candy, clamoring to fill plastic grocery bags gripped tight by sticky little fingers.
“The parade brings everyone out, and the faces on the kids are the best.”
– Morgan Dillard, parade participant
Children weren’t just limited to the audience. For many participants, the parade is a family tradition, and small faces and waving arms peaked out from quite a few of the vehicles and floats that passed by. Clamper “widder” Morgan Dillard brought her two small daughters along to walk with her husband in the E Clampus Vitus group. There were audible gasps of delight and surprise when the crowds spotted her youngest sleeping in a wagon, pulled by a remote control car. “The parade brings everyone out, and the faces on the kids are the best,” Dillard said. “I’m definitely excited to do it again next year and make it even better.”
Dillard’s excitement was echoed by many who participated in the parade this year. For Quincy resident Julie Estes Murphy, a first-time participant who walked with the Quincy Hi Underachievers, the event represents connection and community spirit. “Traditions like the parade are important, especially in small communities,” she said. “It is something that brings people out to engage with each other.” Miles agreed: “What I enjoy most about the parade is the general atmosphere of it. This is such a small town thing… a public event where everybody involved in it knows so many of the other people there. It still amazes me that I get to live in such a close-knit community.”
For Miles, a moment of connection while announcing in front of Plumas Bank on Saturday showcased just how lucky Quincy residents really are. A group of Pacific Crest Trail hikers, three months into their journey, asked Miles what was going on. “I told them it was the Fair Parade, and they were welcome to hang around. They dropped their packs on the porch and sat on the curb to watch the parade. One of them had never seen a parade before,” Miles said. The hikers raved afterwards about what a great time they had, and what a warm and welcoming community they had stumbled upon. “They are going to take some great memories with them,” said Miles.
Those Plumas-Sierra County Fair Parade memories hold a special place in the hearts of many who have made their homes in these mountain communities — whether for months, for years or for generations. Or, in the case of a group of PCT hikers lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time on Saturday, only for a day.
“The Fair is not just an event, it’s a heartfelt celebration and tradition of togetherness, woven from our stories, friendships, history and shared pride.”
– Lynette Choate, 2025 Grand Marshal
Lynette Choate, a 21-year resident of Quincy and active volunteer within the community, served as this year’s parade Grand Marshal. Choate believes that the vibrant spirit of togetherness showcased by the yearly parade is a natural outgrowth of the Plumas-Sierra County Fair itself, a spectacle that brings together people from all over the area. “The Fair is not just an event,” Choate said, “It’s a heartfelt celebration and tradition of togetherness, woven from our stories, friendships, history and shared pride.”
The Saturday morning parade, in which community members came together to celebrate their Plumas County pride, radiated that energy of joyous connection. In the words of Choate, “The Plumas-Sierra County Fair is, without a doubt, ‘the last best little county fair’ — and it’s the people who make it shine.”
