Wayne Gerst Brings A Vigor For Vehicles To Fourth Of July Parade

When the annual Severna Park Fourth of July Parade makes its way through town each year, regular attendees and spectators of the time-honored event always know they can expect certain traditions, including decorated floats, patriotic costumes and celebratory music. At the intersection of Riggs Avenue and Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard, the emcee platform and judge’s booth are busy scenes where spectators get premium viewing along with live commentary. And as the celebrated procession makes its way along the route, several entries guaranteed to draw “oohs!” and “aahs!” are the glimmering vintage vehicles lovingly preserved from decades past.

But some community members might not realize that both these staples of the event – the emcee platform and the vintage vehicle fleet – are thanks to a dedicated, longtime volunteer: Wayne Gerst.

“It’s a thank-you to the community and a way of giving back,” said the owner of Gerst Towing & Auto Repair. “It’s an honor and a pleasure to be a part of it every year – it’s an honor just to be asked to do it.”

A longtime area resident (Millersville native, Severna Park High graduate and Anne Arundel Community College alumnus), Gerst has been involved in the Fourth of July Parade for so long that neither he nor chamber CEO Linda Zahn remembers when he first got involved. At some point years ago, Zahn needed a platform where the emcee could properly see over the crowd, and she turned to Gerst, who brought out one of his rollback trucks. He’s been involved ever since. “When they’re good, you don’t let them go,” Zahn said of her volunteers.

Volunteering in the parade has also provided Gerst a showcase for one of his greatest passions – vintage cars. Having had an interest in cars since (as he described it) he was old enough to get greasy, Gerst has collected vintage vehicles throughout his life. His first was a ’68 Corvette he got in 1972, and today he has about 40 street rods of his own.

On the morning of the parade, Gerst starts working around 6:00am, four hours before the parade begins on Benfield Road. He and other vintage car owners meet in the morning and get organized before lining up their vehicles along the street in Harlequin. As the parade comes through, each driver is ready to pull onto the street and take its place in the process. Afterward, Gerst continues the patriotic celebration at his house with a big cookout, complete with food, a cash bar and a live band.

Gerst participates in several parades throughout the year, including the Glen Burnie Memorial Day Parade and the Lake Shore Baseball Opening Day Parade, so he knows what he’s talking about when he says that the Severna Park Fourth of July Parade is one of the best.

Of course, as any Severna Park resident understands, the parade is so great because it has such wonderful volunteers – like Gerst - behind it.