It begins with a few teasing notes caught on a breeze. Gradually those notes organize into a song you recognize, a march with brass and drums predominant or a country tune leaking from tinny speakers. The parade is about to begin.
Last week, columnist Ryan Taylor talked about his experience as parade marshal in Towner, North Dakota. It got me thinking about the community spirit and entertainment value of small-town parades.
Many follow the same pattern, but regional variations make each unique to its community.
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A member of the local constabulary often leads, followed by kids on decorated bikes, in descending order of age. Tots on trikes have the largest smiles.
The local politicians always seem to have friends with either convertibles or vintage cars. They wave from their back perch or passenger window, adding vigour when they see people they recognize. They recognize almost everyone.
One or all of the fire trucks make an appearance, and the one equals the all in many cases.
The really lucky parades attract a contingent of Shriners in their various guises, from bands to motorcycles. The really clever but even smaller towns organize an equivalent attraction.
In Glenwood, Alta., last week, for example, a bevy of John Deere lawn tractor jockeys did their best to emulate the Shriners’ street choreography. It gave a distinct agricultural flavour to the maneuvres.
And in that same town, famous for its cheese, those on the factory parade entry threw cheese sticks instead of sweets. How’s that for healthy entertainment?
If the parade is of a size that you can’t see from one end to the other from your spot on the sidewalk, the arrival of the band is a highlight. Depending on the mischievous nature of the parade organizer, the band may or may not precede the horse contingent. In the latter case, a bit more choreography occurs as band members dodge pungent road apples.
More often than not, some unfortunate local or misguided tourist ends up as part of the procession. Since it tends to draw out the length, no one complains.
In bigger towns, the street sweeper brings up the rear, dipsy-doodling to catch the trouble spots. In smaller towns, a little fertilizer in the street goes part and parcel with the price of admission.
It is said that everyone loves a parade, and that expression might well have been coined in a small town. I hope you have a chance to see a parade in your community this summer.
