Parades

Growing up in small town, South Dakota, we got to go to a parade once a year or so and it consisted of one band, 5 or 6 floats, some tractors, some horses and 5 firetrucks. But I recall them as being some of the best times ever...because of all the candy of course!!!

Czech Days Parade
...that green bucket on the back is FULL of candy!!

This weekend I walked in the annual Giant Parade at Czech Days in Tabor, SD handing out candy for my boyfriend's mother's entry. I passed out 5 ice cream buckets (yes I counted) full of candy to all the parade watchers, and as hard as it was to give away all those frooties, it was more rewarding to see how happy it made the parade go-ers. Of course there were the young children all lined up with their own buckets to fill with loot from all the parade entries, and their parents smiling behind them because they knew as soon as they got home they would get to sort through their children's candy buckets after they went to sleep that night. But my favorite people to give candy to were the elderly people all lined up together in their wheelchairs with their hands held out, waiting for their sweet treat for the day. Their smiles (or the quick nod from the ones that were maybe having a so-so day) when I dropped a handful of those frooties into their hands was all the thanks I needed.

Not at the parade I was at, but a classic picture of candy & parades :)

Throwing candy at parades dates about as far back as parades' and candy's existence. Why wouldn't it?? I think there are great memories all around concerning parades & candy (except maybe those people that got hit by a float picking up candy, causing parades to now ban throwing candy...boo for them!) So I guess I can only say that I have great memories all around concerning parades, and look forward to partaking in many more, whether it's throwing, handing, or eating the candy!!  

Matt and I before the "Beseda Dance"
at Czech Days in our traditional costumes.