BONDUEL, Wis. — Almost 50 years ago Beverly Heling rolled off the new car lot with a red, white and blue Buick Century.
The car commemorated the nation’s bicentennial that year. For decades, Heling has been driving it as part of Bonduel’s Fourth of July celebration.
“It’s exciting because so many people wave, yell and say, ‘I had had one similar,’” Heling said. “It’s just fun.”
Heling said she’s driven it in the Bonduel Fourth of July parade for at least 35 years. This year her grandson, Cory Carlson, was along for the ride.
“You know a lot of the people who are out,” she said about the celebration. “Even if you don’t, they get that hometown feeling.”
Bonduel’s Green Bay Street was lined with people for blocks Thursday.
Located between Shawano and Green Bay, Bonduel is usually a community of about 1,500 people. It swells for this celebration.
Spending the Fourth in Bonduel is a life-long tradition for Ben Wilde of Kenosha.
“It’s just a family tradition. It’s wholesome,” he said. “It brings the community together from different areas across the state. Southeastern Wisconsin, northern Wisconsin.”
Wilde’s family has a vacation place near Shawano.
“I love this,” he said. “It’s like going to your favorite restaurant if it’s great every time why go somewhere different?”
Heling said she hopes her 1976 Buick adds to the pageantry and patriotism that is Bonduel’s annual Fourth of July celebration.
“That we’re one great nation...” she said. “That they get that feeling today.”