The sunshine did its job, and so did the volunteers and organizers as the 33rd Magnolia Summer Festival Parade got under way at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 5.
More than an hour before the parade, people were already on the street, staking out a spot on the curb, setting up lawn chairs and grabbing a cup of coffee.
On as beautiful a day as there is anywhere in the country, the parade kicked off with the latest generation of children leading the way on bicycles and scooters, rounding the corner from 34th and rolling east on McGraw through the Village proper, throwing candy to a crowd, estimated by this reporter at around 1,000 people, many of whom were proud parents who had themselves marched in the parade a few years back.
Mark Christopher from KBSG AM and FM, one of the festival committee volunteers, emceed the parade, with an improved sound system of eight speakers.
Parade chairman Darrell Drew, chairing his 33rd consecutive parade, talked to several parents who remembered him when they were in the parade, and now watched as he directed their kids in the procession.
In a conversation after the parade, Drew told me that only one of his children had been born when he organized his first festival parade. Now his sons are in their early 30s, and his two-year-old grandson was enjoying the excitement.
The children who were not in the parade scrambled to gather as much of the candy as they could stuff in their pockets (and their cheeks).
Behind the wheeled participants came more children representing community groups and businesses including the Magnolia Cooperative Preschool, Falcon Gymnastics, Roxanne's School of Dance, Magnolia Karate Academy, Sweet Pea Cottage Preschool of the Arts and the Whiz Kids Academy.
The Army Color Guard and Marching Band received a thunderous and well-deserved round of applause. Not far behind came the Scouts Color Guard, and then Queen Alcyone VII, Magnolia's own Karen Moyer, followed by Dr. Carver Gayton, King Neptune LVII (57th for the Roman Numeral challenged, like me), both of whom were crowned King & Queen of the 2006 SEAFAIR Festival for their sincere community service and outreach in the Puget Sound area.
Next down the street in the traditional parade of automobiles was the grand marshall, Bill Whitham, who has chaired the Summerfest committee for four years, followed by Caroline Egan, co-chair; Vic Barry, president of the Magnolia Community Council; Arlene Hedberg, president of the Magnolia Rotary Club; Glen Harrington, president of the Magnolia Chamber of Commerce; and David Lee, president of the Queen Anne/Magnolia Lion's Club.
A special treat this year was the appearance of the Wells Fargo Stagecoach that I'm told is in great demand, and for the organizers to have scheduled them in our parade was a major coup. Each coach used for parades is an authentic Wells Fargo reproduction, guided by an experienced stagecoach driver.
No Seattle parade would be complete without the SEAFAIR Pirates, and they were there with bells on - well, not really. And, it seems no matter how prepared you think you are for the cannon boom, it still makes you jump.
Following the pirates came the clowns, marching bands, drill teams, a Scottish Piper Band sponsored by Madison-Carnolia Cleaners and Coldwell Banker Bain Associates, the OK Corral sponsored by the Magnolia Chamber of Commerce, the Keystone Cops, and even the pink Lincoln Toe Truck, a Seattle landmark off Mercer Street for years that was donated to the Museum of History and Industry by the owners. After a brief restoration, the Toe Truck is back with us, thanks to the folks at MOHAI.
The ladies from the Magnolia Red Hats added a splash of color with their purple dresses and dazzling red hats, and the Seattle Schools All City Band kept the crowd stepping lively, as did the Highlanders Drill Team and the Truth Drill Team.
One event that was missed by some parade-goers was behind the Magnolia Veterinary Hospital. The sounds of African Drums, led by Ibrahima Camarra, drew a number of people to the Episcopal Church where the music, dance, and free coffee and muffins awaited the curious.
Following the conclusion of the parade at noon, the crowd streamed up 33rd in search of lunch at one of the many food booths, or at one of our terrific Village restaurants, and then off to the park to check out the bigger-and-better-than-ever arts and crafts fair.
Judging from the smiling faces, this reporter would give this year's parade, and summer festival a big thumbs up.
As you can imagine, an event like this takes a full year of planning, and the need for volunteers and sponsors is always there, so if you have a little time you can donate, or would like to be a sponsor, contact the Magnolia Chamber of Commerce at www.magnoliachamber .org, or by calling them at 284-5836.[[In-content Ad]]
