Saturday: Our Annual Town Festival....

The best thing about our annual town festival is the parade -- with over sixty extrants and lasting almost an hour, it's a real joy for everyone who lines the "main drag" (the highway that passes through town). Kids along the parade route collect candy that people on the trucks, cars, and floats toss to them. Churches parade their upcoming VBS sports camps and free guitar classes. The high school marching band drums past, with cheerleaders and drill team shouting team slogans. Local businesses and clubs come by, advertising their wares and services. Horses and tractors and army tanks parade past, and the heroes of the town, the volunteer firefighters, always bring up the rear. The parade is an event that the whole town looks forward to and enjoys to the fullest.



The firetruck from Alpine Anglican, my second church home. Two of my boys can be seen, tossing candy to kids and squirting bystanders with the small hose. (And they HAD to soak their mother, of course!)



Father Acker of Alpine Anglican rides down the street with his free teen guitar class who perform around the east county as well as at church the first Sunday of each month. He looks more like a rock star than an Anglican priest, doesn't he?



The bagpipers are always my favorite. The sound just fills the town with that mournful yet joyous wail....



A lone gunman parades down the street, gun in hand -- part of the "Hole in the Wall Gang."



Our art council booth in the craft area after the parade. I made the signs; Judith created the cards and bags which sold moderately well, and Pat and Margo displayed their paintings. Margo also brought brownies to sell which ended up being our main money-maker. She even worked on her latest oil painting; bystanders enjoyed watching Margo wield her tiny brushes. (Wish I had captured a photo of that! Dopey me!) Although we didn't sell much, we made a lot of new contacts, both residents of the town and artisans who were selling their handiwork. We also advertised our free concert next month, supported by our burgeoning arts council. So I think that sitting around all day was very worthwhile.

A few more photos can be seen on my Extras blog....