Wyben Fourth of July organizers announce lineup, marshals

2026 Parade Marshals LaRee and Joe Collingwood.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo

WESTFIELD — The theme for Wyben’s Fourth of July parade is “Let’s ALL celebrate USA’s 250th Anniversary.”

Participants for the parade, which is always on July 4, rain or shine, are asked to line up at the junction of Montgomery and North roads beginning at 4:30 p.m. The march starts at 5 p.m. on Montgomery Road and will finish on West Road.

“All are welcome to join, march and celebrate this Independence Day, a huge milestone. Because there are varied ways to honor such a feat, the sky’s the limit on how everyone wants to observe our 250th,” said Sue Crane, a member of the parade committee.

LaRee and Joe Collingwood, the 2026 parade marshals, will lead the parade, followed by the American Legion Post 124, Mayor Michael McCabe, City Councilor Karen Fanion, state Rep. Kelly Pease and state Sen. John Velis.

Sam MacMunn and Cindy Bronson of the Westfield Historical Commission will represent the Westfield Militia Company of 1774 and will dress authentically as colonial farmers. They will also join other parade participants who plan to fire off blank rounds of their antique guns at the beginning and at the end of the parade.

Parade goers will enjoy the antique cars, trucks, motorcycles, quads, decorated floats and anything old.

Harry and Anne Rock will once again broadcast the parade in its entirety for WCPC, Westfield Community Television, and the parade committee is hoping for a large contingency of Westfield High and middle school band students to add music to a festive day.

The Collingwoods built their house on Montgomery Road on family land in 1983 and have made it their home for the past 40-plus years. LaRee grew up in Huntington and graduated from Gateway Regional High School in 1976. Joe was raised in South Hadley and graduated from South Hadley High School in 1974.

The couple met at Digital Corporation, where LaRee was working in inventory control, and Joe was a machinist, an occupation he continues to practice and enjoy. LaRee also works part-time at many local churches, including Wyben Union Chapel, and meets bi-weekly with a rug hooking, needlework and cross stitch gathering she organized, where women attend from all over New England and New York to work on their craft.

The Collingwoods have three grown children and eight grandchildren, all of whom live locally. The family has enjoyed camping, swimming in their backyard pool, riding dirt bikes, building forts, snowmobiling and quadding. Their home remains a hubbub of activities for family and friends.

Crane said the Collingwoods have always embraced the Wyben community. When their children were young, they gave their time volunteering and leading children and adults in activities including Christmas, Easter and Halloween parties, hay rides and card games. They also worked in the Wyben Association booth at the Westfield Fair.

“I think it’s fitting for our 250th to have a couple big into tradition and long-time living in Wyben as our parade marshals. Their kids live close by, and the couple is so deserving of this honor,” said one friend and neighbor about the Collingwoods.

Members of the parade committee are Bob Allen, Jim Bemis, Greg Bolduc, Crystal Bryant, Carlee Collins, Tim and Sue Crane, Brian and Kathy Hartley, Deb Hayden, Ryan Karolides and Dan Puza.