Johnnie Stringfield bought Sir Goony’s Family Fun Center 25 years ago, and as far as he can remember, he’s participated in every Farragut Independence Day Parade since. He always enjoys it, and so does his young staff.
“When you see the community come together, there’s nothing like it,” he says.
He always walks the entire parade route, even in 2019 after bypass surgery. The route gets long, he says, but when Concord Baptist Church appears on the horizon, “You know you’re in the home stretch.”
His job is passing out VIP cards with special offers to the crowd. He recalls a female parade attendee telling him she comes to the parade for two reasons: Sir Goony’s coupons and Chick-fil-A coupons. He passes out eight to ten thousand cards each year and estimates that 30 percent of them are used.
Stringfield is in the middle of his busy season. Kids arrive on buses first thing in the morning, and families and teenagers play until close each evening. Sir Goony’s is open seven days a week in the summer, and Stringfield relies heavily on his family and staff to make the operation hum. His wife sometimes serves dinner to the employees on the deck behind the office.
“We work hard and play hard. We just make ‘em part of our family,” he says of the high school and college students who work there.
The parade provides a way for Stringfield to reward the employees who have been with him the longest. They get the coveted duty of driving the go-karts down Kingston Pike. He also has a 20-foot float featuring a giraffe and a gorilla that is a favorite with the kids. The staff typically invite friends to participate in the parade, swelling the group to as many as 25.
Everyone enjoys participating in the parade in spite of hot weather and occasional rain. The only mishap he can remember was when the truck pulling the float ran over a remote-control car that a staff member was operating.
Stringfield feels privileged to be in the parade and makes it a point to thank town of Farragut staff and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office for working on a holiday. He also recognizes that others have sacrificed to make the annual celebration possible.
“Every year before I start the parade, I take a moment and thank the Lord for another year, and I pray for all the men and women that serve our country.”
Sir Goony’s offers paintball, go-karts, sports island, a splash zone and miniature golf. They’re all popular, but mini golf is still the biggest draw. Families enjoy it because it’s more reasonable than going to a movie, and you can have a conversation while playing, Stringfield says. It’s also a popular date activity.
One Bearden High School alum had such good memories of Sir Goony’s that she recently filmed a scene for an upcoming movie there. Actor and director Ashley Shelton will be riding on the Sir Goony’s float this year. See Ashley and other notables at the 33rd Farragut Independence Day Parade at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 3. Yep, that’s July 3. It’s a Farragut tradition that you don’t want to miss.
Town of Farragut marketing and public relations coordinator Wendy Smith is your reliable Farragut insider.