At ANY rate, they had the parade late this morning, there's the annual "jubliee" going on even now, involved food stands, air balloon rides, patriotic music, games for kids, among other things, all culmanating in the fireworks display tonight.
I'll be watching pay per view UFC at A Local Celebrity, Mr. David ParisPeking's then, thank you very much.
But I DID make it to the parade. And may I say, it was just as unimpressive as it is every year. The thing lasted about 50 minutes, and that includes the three long spans of emptiness in the midst of the parade itself. South Central Pennsylvania Small Town Planning, apparently. I don't know what's sadder, the parade or the fact I go to it every year.
Anyway, to give you all an idea of what a Fourth Of July Parade in small town America is like, I took photos. Until my battery ran out. Considering I hadn't recharged it since before Gay Pride three or four weeks ago, I think that's a good run for the battery. But I digress...
Onto the photos:
Not much of a crowd, cause it's a three day weekend and people went places. Normally, when the holiday falls in the middle of the week, the sidewalks are packed. Anyway, after a police car, with lights flashing and veterans carrying the flags (which I forgot to get photos of) comes a contingent of emergency vehicles.
Next comes Waynesboro's own town band, aptly yet unoriginally named, The Wayne Band!
The town's mayor, in a Jeep.
The grand marshal's. These are the family members of a serviceman from Waynesboro killed in Afghanistan just last month. No humor or mockery here, poor folks, I did feel bad for them.
Back to the mockery: Franklin County's Honey Queen!
And a long break of nothingness.
Some majorettes twirling batons.
And then some littler majorettes.
Ben Franklin! He been dead for, what 200 years? But he's still the best celebrity we could get.
I dont know anything about this guy other than he was young, like still in his teens and walking on stilts which was a pretty damn impressive thing if you ask me!
Aaaaaaand yet another long break of emptiness.
There's a local group of Lindy Hop dancers, and they're in every parade doing the dancing as they go to 1940's dance music.
Some of the dancing couples.
These two kids stood in front of us and were the cutest part of the whole parade. The girl kept going back to her parents, but the boy stood out there and waved to everyone that went by. Of course, he really was just waiting for the candy they tosses out, and his pockets gor pretty full of it. But just watching them made me smile and made the whole parade worthwhile to me.
And they're off to collect the candy!
And yes, we had a big truck and a car advertising the Blazin' Auto Detailing shop in town. Just what the Founding Fathers envisioned when they signed the Declaration!
I forget the name of the him, but this is the mascot for our local paper, the Record Herald, famously known around town as the "Wretched Herald". Small town newspapers, gotta love 'em.
A small contingent of Boys Scouts.
More firetrucks and ambulances.
The Shriners riding in their little cars. The two kids stood there and waved the whole time!
A tractor pulling something for a local home improvement contractor.
Members of a local group of soldiers who had just returned from Iraq last month. They got a standing ovation from everyone, myself included. God bless 'em!
More of the returned soldiers.
And the soldier's families walked along behind them.
This is for the local Rita's store. Wonderful ice creams and geliatis!
Random people on motorcycles.
Oh look! More fire trucks and ambulances!
A group of kids riding on their bikes.
And that's when the battery died. But I made sure to remember what I didn't get photos of, namely, in roughly the same order they passed: antique cars, another long break of nothing, more fire trucks, some cars from a local car dealer, some dogs and volunteers from the local pound, a few more fire trucks and bringing up the rear another contingent of antique cars.
Yeah, you're all jealous, I know. But despite the fun I make of the thing, it IS a tradition to me. I'm 42, and I've NEVER missed a Fourth Of July parade, not even last year when I was IN my cousin's wedding (the wedding was at 2:00, leaving plenty of time to enjoy the parade first). So go on, Waynesboro July 4th Parade, you rock. -ish....more or less.
POLT
1 comment:
Coming from a farming community our rodeo parade (no Canada Day parades up here) MUST include MASSIVE farm equipment, the kind with tires 12 feet in diameter and horses of course because it is a rodeo. And they toss candy to the kiddie who run into the street giving Grandparents heart attacks as the huge machinery rolls by. And shriners in little cars of course, that's mandatory for every parade on the North American continent.
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