I love me a parade. Always have, always will. From when I was a little girl, to the years when my daughters were small, and now more recently, attending with my granddarlings, I’m entranced with the marching bands, floats, noisy go-carts with overgrown men stuffed in the driver’s seat, the tossed candy . . . The whole thing is just full of good, old-fashioned fun.
Parades have been around for centuries. Perhaps the earliest depiction is one found from drawings in a Spanish cave, evidently celebrating a successful hunt. George Washington threw numerous parades to boost morale during the Revolutionary War. Imagine the euphoria from the impromptu parades all over the country in 1945–to celebrate the end of World War 2!
With the advent of television and time, the parades got bigger and more elaborate. Who hasn’t heard of the Mardi Gras Parade, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, the Rose Bowl Parade, 4th of July Parades, and on and on?
I’m not alone in my love for parades.
Recently, we attended the annual parade in the small town near our cabin at the lake. No need to arrive 60-90 minutes early to save a spot, but we did mark our claim with chairs about a half hour beforehand. Parking isn’t a problem at all. Shade, a bit more so. The parade is over before we can barely think of it – only 45 minutes long.
The granddarlings bring a blanket and games and wait excitedly for that first police car escort to appear, signaling the parade is going to begin. Of course, each of the kids bring sacks to keep their candy haul. The treats have been upgraded lately–popsicles, water bottles, t-shirts, swag, and of course, more candy than a kid could (or should!) eat.
Here’s a few pictures to show what I mean:
Remember those overgrown men stuffed into little go-carts? They were having a ball doing figure-eights in the street.
Who doesn’t love getting their picture taken with a couple of parade clowns?
A colorful (and patriotic!) train locomotive.
Best-laid plans sometimes go awry. This old-time trolley broke down and needed a little manpower to get it off the parade route.
He’s ready to make his move for the next round of candy-tossing. Note the loot already in his bag! 🙂
Afterward, we played bingo at the local park, had some free watermelon, came out to the cabin to roast hot dogs and s’mores, and then headed home.
It was a lovely day, one that fills my heart with happy memories.
Do you love a parade as much as I do?
Have you watched a parade recently from the comfort of your lawn chair?
Or do you prefer to watch on TV?
Let’s chat – and you can win a bag of parade candy!
A guilty secret…
