Have you ever been in a parade? Where and when? If not, would you like to be?

@writersedge (22563)
United States
September 2, 2008 11:11am CST
I was in a parade many years ago as a teen. I was on a square dance float, square dancing. That was just a local parade. My husband is on the VFW float, more like a cart because many are too old to walk that far. So when you were in a parade, did you march? If you were not in a parade, would you like to be in one? What would you like to do? Drive a fire truck? Play in a band? Ride a horse? Be a clown? Ride in a Shriners mini-car? Twirl a baton? So many possibilities. I just watched our hometown parade yesterday. Lots of old cars, fire trucks, a marching band, lots of people marching like boyscout and girl scouts. Only one real float, a huge (or our road/parade) float, raw wood made larke a pirate ship with everyone dressed like pirates and one person actually brought his parrot. I would have liked to have been part of that or wear some type of costume, what about you?
3 people like this
13 responses
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
2 Sep 08
I've never been in a parade, never really wanted to be. IF I were riding a horse, that might make a difference - I'd be on a horse.... I don't like clowns, I really don't like Shriners, I'm short so parades have never been that much fun for me. I might like to have been a pirate or some other costumed person on a float - ohhh I know, I'd like to be on a Doctor Who float!
3 people like this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
3 Sep 08
http://www.scifi.com/doctorwho/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/
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@writersedge (22563)
• United States
4 Sep 08
Read #1 above, she has been in a parade riding a horse and had some interesing experiences. Sounds like the organizer of the parage doesn't know where to put horses like we do up here. Take care
2 people like this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
3 Sep 08
Not sure about that last sentence, but ok. Yes, I think you would like riding a horse in a parade. Would you decorate the horse? What would you wear? Thanks and take care.
3 people like this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
2 Sep 08
yes, a bunch of them. i was in the band for 4 years & we went to alot of parades. wealways had a good time. it got awful cold sometime & hot in the summer w/the uniforms on but it was still fun.
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@GardenGerty (169474)
• United States
2 Sep 08
Yes, a million years ago I was in High School Band, and we marched occasionally in parades.
2 people like this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
4 Sep 08
I always enjoy the bands, I was never in one, but I am always glad they show up. Take care
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@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
2 Sep 08
it has been about thatlong for me to. lol thanks for your response.greetings from tennessee.
2 people like this
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
3 Sep 08
I've never been in one but my youngest brother was in several while he was in High School. He played the tuba so he was in the band. We all went to watch him several times. It seemed like alot of fun but I don't ever see me doing it. **AT PEACE WITHIN** ~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~
3 people like this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
4 Sep 08
You never know, you might be part of a club or in some kind of a volunteer organization that needs you to sit on a float or march. People live a long time and life changes a great deal. Every few years, mine changes a lot. Take care
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@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
3 Sep 08
Hi. It seems like I might have walked in a parade when I was a Cub Scout leader when my son was a cub scout years ago. I can barely remember back that far! It was in Illinois many years ago, probably about 1980 or so. I always thought it would have been fun to ride atop a float and throw out candy to the kids, but I didn't ever do that. I bet it was fun trying to square dance on a moving float!
3 people like this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
3 Sep 08
Our floats crawl along and I do mean crawl. So dancing on top of one is no problem. Probably as a scout leader, you may have. I was very, very proud of our girl scouts. They had everyone in their pack and flag holder was a young lady in a wheelchair. Some organizations don't allow everyone, but our scouts up here do reguardless of race, color, creed or disability. Reminds me, my Dad and I were in a parade in his truck. We threw candy out the window. We thought the truck would burn up because it wanted to cycle high, but with crawling, you can't do that.
2 people like this
• Sweden
3 Sep 08
I been to parade 1 year ago it was in the Philippines and it was "kadayawan" It is a kind of parade that you can see all kind of product,indorser,and many more. That time i was with my mom and some good friends.It was tiring but then enjoyable cause while we walking we talk and laugh,I miss the Kadayawan in the Phil it was held last Aug. it is the time that the city is really lots of program everywhere.If you wondering where it is.It was in Davao City.
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@writersedge (22563)
• United States
4 Sep 08
Sounds really interesting and different from some aspects of our parades, but we do have tractor and truck companies as well as antique car clubs with some cars for sale and other sales people as part of our parade. Sounds like you had fun and that is what parades are all about and have in common the world over. Thanks and take care.
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@BlinkMe64 (150)
• United States
3 Sep 08
humm i've only been in one parade that I can remember, and it was when I was about 9, I was in a parade at Disneyland, California it was pretty fun and I got to dress up in this awesome costume, and that is the only parade I can remember being in.
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@writersedge (22563)
• United States
4 Sep 08
Wow! That sounds really cool! Did your family get any pictures of you? That's like a dream for most people to be in that parade and you were in at 9 years old? Awesome. Very, very cool. Thanks and take care
1 person likes this
@JoyfulOne (6231)
• United States
2 Sep 08
I'm a lot older than most, and I've been in quite a few parades over my years. Most of them were at the county fair with my horse, and then I was in other ones for other towns. My favorite one was in 1976, it was our countries bi-centennial and our town had this huuuuuuge parade and celebration. I was asked to be in the parade with my horse since my family's been in this town on the same farm since the town was started back in the mid-1800's. I explained to the parade organizer that I would be 8 months pregnant when it was time for the parade. So, after much convincing, I asked my Dr and he gave me the go-ahead since I've always ridden. I ended up being a pregnant indian, and I rode bareback through the whole parade lol. Funny, the organizer said I was to ride in front of the sanitation float. I'm thinking, hmmm, that can't be TOO bad. Then when we lined up it turned out that the sanitation float was this giant garbage truck. My horse walked nervously sideways the whole parade, and I was sorely afraid I'd get dumped, especially when they tooted their air-horns for the crowd. The crowds loved it though, and thought the horse was showing off hahaha. I petted and talked to the horse the whole way through and I'm lucky it worked out so well. I'm lucky too that I've never ever had to walk in a parade, I've always been asked to ride. Sure would like a ride in a Shriner car though!!
3 people like this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
4 Sep 08
Don't those Shriner cars look like fun? My Dad owned a sanitation truck and we did lots of tooting, but horses are generally put between quiet floats or marchers like the Veterans of Foreign wars or boy scouts, girl scouts. I can't imagine if they put them between fire trucks. That must have been scary to have them tutting like that! In our driver's ed. manuals and our drivers test it asks about tooting around horses (correct answer is to NEVER toot around a horse, it could throw the rider off into the path of your car). Hope we educated someone today. Sounds cool, thanks and take care.
2 people like this
@carolbee (16230)
• United States
2 Sep 08
I've never been in a parade but would really like to before I get too old to enjoy it. I work for an indoor ice skating rink and each year we have a parade before Memorial Day and I happen to work for the City. I tried to get them let me ride on the Zamboni machine a few years ago, not drive it, but it didn't happen. I would love to be a clown for a day. I love people and like mingling with them. Also love the things kids say and how they react to clowns.
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@writersedge (22563)
• United States
4 Sep 08
Those all sound like so much fun! I think zambonis could be decorated and look really cool in a parade, but wouldn't that put lots of gunk underneath? I hope you get to sit on a float, too. Take care
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169474)
• United States
2 Sep 08
I have been in a parade as a clown. Garden Gerty is actually the persona of the last clown I used to portray, but that has been about nine years ago. We have a big parade in May, to celebrate the students of our county. I could probably find some reason to enter it, but I usually am working, helping others enjoy the parade.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
3 Sep 08
Being a clown must have been fun. Cool that is the Mylot name you chose. Student parade celebration sounds like a neat idea. Helping others enjoy the parade is good, too. Thanks and take care.
2 people like this
@Grandmaof2 (7578)
• Canada
4 Sep 08
I was on a float when I was a teenager also, seems like a hundred years ago now. There were four of us girls sitting in an old but nice looking Model T and there was a big sign attatched to the float that said, "Four more payments and she's mine." Seems we had more fun back then. Today we're just under far too much stress.
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@writersedge (22563)
• United States
4 Sep 08
I think that's why people like parades. Great stress relievers. That sounds really cute. Sounds more applicable today than then, too. Thanks and take care.
1 person likes this
@palonghorn (5479)
• United States
3 Sep 08
I was in a parade two years in a row, with the volunteer fire department I was a member of. It was the 4th of July Parade, I was on the fire truck, throwing candy out to the kids along the parade route. It was a lot of fun, the first year I was in it, I decorated the fire truck and we took second place in our category. It was fun, but since I've 'been there done that' I'm happy just to be on the side taking pictures. lol
2 people like this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
4 Sep 08
At least you can say you've done it. I think it's more fun if you're there doing something different each time than if you do the same thing all the time. I think my husband has fun because it's the only time he gets to talk to his fellow veterans, at Vetrans meetings they talk about the club,membership, etc., not enough about the old days, so he gets to talk all that time. Take care
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@saundyl (9783)
• Canada
3 Sep 08
I've been in parades Several times. All as a teen/young adult. I've ridden on the float or the back of the truck. I was in the school band and we played on the float while it went around the route, I've walked in the parade and I've also ridden a horse in a parade. The parades Were all the july 1st parade for Canada Day. I was in the because of Band, 4-H, Girls club, Kinettes, The Provincial park and i think maybe the Dairy Bar.
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@writersedge (22563)
• United States
4 Sep 08
That's a lot of variety. Which did you like the best? I liked square dancing a lot and I liked riding in my Dad's truck and throwing candy (I had forgotten about some parades I had been in, happens when you're 50). Thanks and take care.
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@writersedge (22563)
• United States
6 Sep 08
That does sound like fun, thanks.
@saundyl (9783)
• Canada
4 Sep 08
I liked throwing the candy too. My favourite has to be the one we rode the horses in for 4-H. I was flag runner for a few things on horseback that same year.
@mikeysmom (2088)
• United States
3 Sep 08
i personally have nver been in a parade and i do not want to either. the only thing i did do was with my son when he was 5. there is a halloween parade in our town each year and he marched in it in his costume so of course i marched right along side him. it was fun even though the weather was not that great. it made for a good memory for me.
2 people like this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
4 Sep 08
so you were in a parade afterall and liked it. Thanks and take care.
1 person likes this