For decades, Joe Paquette was more than a volunteer — he was the engine behind Munising’s Fourth of July celebration. From organizing the parade to resurrecting kid-friendly attractions, Paquette was everywhere, doing everything and always with one goal: making the day special for everyone.
But he wasn’t alone. Longtime friend and collaborator Sonny Putvin played an equally vital role.
“Sonny was the fireworks guy,” Paquette said. “He handled all of that. I handled the parade. We split it down the middle.”
Before Putvin and Paquette took over, the event was primarily organized by the local American Legion.
When the Legion eventually handed off the reins, it was Putvin — Munising’s first Vietnam Veterans of America commander — who stepped in to keep things going.
“He brought me into it,” Paquette said. “And from there, we just kept building.”
Known affectionately as “Mr. Fourth of July,” Paquette started working on the event more than 40 years ago. Together, he and Putvin created a model of grassroots community organizing — relying on door-to-door fundraising, handwritten plans and sheer grit.
One of the most memorable additions during their tenure was the return of the Little Willy Railroad and Ferris wheel — fixtures originally built by local craftsman Willie Clark and once used by the Lions Club carnival.
“We found the train in a big heap,” Paquette said. “Took it home and got some folks together to help bring it back to life. It became one of our biggest hits for the kids.”
“ There’s a reason people still call him Mr. Fourth of July — because he showed up, year after year, and made sure the show went on.
—Sean
Hayes
”
Paquette also credited his family for supporting him every step of the way.
“My wife and kids were always right there with me,” he said. “It was a family thing. They helped with the setup, the cleanup, everything in between. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
When it came time to pass the baton, Paquette wanted to make sure the event would stay in good hands. He found that in Sean Hayes.
“Sean’s done an outstanding job,” Paquette said. “He took it seriously. He asked questions. He wanted to understand how everything worked — and then he brought in his own skills to take it even further.”
Hayes, now president of the Munising Fourth of July nonprofit, doesn’t take that praise lightly.
“Sonny and Joe laid the foundation for everything this celebration is,” Hayes said. “They did it the right way for so long. I just want to carry that forward — and make sure we’re doing right by them and the town.”
Though technology has changed — online donations have replaced cash in a hat — Paquette believes the heart of the event has stayed the same: people showing up for each other.
“It’s always been about the volunteers,” he said. “That’s how we did it all those years. No one person can pull this off alone. It’s the whole town coming together.”
Hayes agrees: “There’s a reason people still call him Mr. Fourth of July — because he showed up, year after year, and made sure the show went on. That kind of commitment doesn’t just disappear. It sets the standard.”
And as Munising looks ahead to another celebration, the fingerprints of both Paquette and Putvin are still on every part of it.
“I’m proud of what we built,” Paquette said. “But I’m even more proud to see it still going.”
