“This might be the biggest parade we’ve ever had.”
If I were to look up the definition of a fall day, I’d find a picture of today with its blue sky, warm sun and a ruffle the leaves breeze.
I’m late with Coffee because of the Seaside Festival parade. I’m a sucker for parades, especially local ones. Today’s parade had fire engines, old cars, including a police car with the best siren sound, clowns, a few floats, the cub scouts, the girl scouts, a karate school and the local high school band. Smoky Bear was there too as was a Chinese dragon. Even St. Patrick made a surprise visit. It was lovely sitting and waiting for the parade to start. I just closed my eyes and let the warmth of the sun shine on my face. The parade lasted about forty minutes then I wended my way home on the back road, the one which follows the shore line. The ocean is beautiful today.
This long weekend is the last hurrah for the cape. The seasonal places still open will close after Monday, and we’ll get our roads back. The gawkers will be gone until next year. A ride on 6A will no longer be interminable.
When I was a kid, we never came to the cape for a vacation so it was a brand new place for us to explore when we moved here. I remember my brother and I hitched to Hyannis where my father worked. He was surprised to see us and not so happy we’d hitched, but it was the only way to get around. There were no buses, and my mother couldn’t yet drive. My father used to have to drive me everywhere. It made neither of us happy. Back then all the motels and stores closed on Labor Day so on the Tuesday after Labor Day, Route 28 went dark. Only two movie theaters were open all winter, one in Hyannis and another in Harwichport. The cape was pretty desolate.
Now, there are motels and restaurants open all year. There are a couple of malls and one has a movieplex with more screens than I can remember. The cape has changed dramatically over the years, but seeing the parade today reminded me that it’s still a place where people flock to local parades to clap for the fire department and the National Guard.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: cape cod, high school band, local parade
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
October 10, 2010 at 2:18 pm
We almost never have parades here, I know of one they have in Gothenburg every spring when the amusement park Liseberg opens up for the season. They also have a carnival looking much like the ones they have in Brazil, but much smaller of course.
I love those Chinese dragons and lions, but I think I´ve only seen them in circuses and on TV.
There are almost no seasonal changes at all here, It is as dead or alive all year long 🙂 Perhaps there are some more tourists during summer when they look at the different historical landmarks we have here. But they come by bus and leaves after an hour or so :-)I almost forgot the tourists that comes to see the cranes. But most of them comes in their own caravans and makes a mess in the traffic a few weeks in spring 🙂 🙂 🙂
Have a great day now!
Christer.
October 10, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Christer,
Parades are big here-we have them for so many holidays. The next one here will be for St. Patrick’s day but I’ll watch the Thanksgiving parade on TV.
We have a whole summer of tourists who clog all the roads and highways. They stay for at least a weekend and many stay longer. I’m always glad when they go home.
October 10, 2010 at 5:14 pm
My Grandparents lived on Silverston Avenue in Bognor Regis, Sussex. Once a year the “fun fair” would set up in the park opposite their house and then a Saturday parade would go right past the front door. We would sit on the wooden gate and watch everyone come by. I especially liked the (King Arthur) knights. If we were lucky we would spend an hour or two at the fair enjoying the rides.Bognor held many pleasures, the sea side, the gardens, the pier with slot machines but most of all two grandparents who I loved very much.
big Rick turned 63 today. Taking my social security says he, won’t live another 9 years. He actually blew out a spoke while we biked. Went off like a cannon.
October 10, 2010 at 10:14 pm
My Dear Hedley,
Did big Rick not understand the blown spoke was a sign? Take the social security!!
The train ran up the street from my grandparents house, and I watched it every time I visited. That’s one of my favorite memories.
October 11, 2010 at 8:53 am
Kat, I had visions of the bike collapsing underneath him. There is one hill where you can get to speeds around 25 mph, even on a hybrid, which spells disaster.
The wild turkey were our in force yesterday enjoying the cold foggy morning and sending a clear message of the arrival of Fall
October 10, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Just a word on behalf of the tourists. My wife and I live in CT and make several day trips to the Cape each year, the most recent on Friday (my birthday-thanks for the great music that day). We began the sojourns more than 35 years ago before the marriage and both of our kids knew the fun and joy of camping at Nickerson. But we, too, faced and survived the overcrowding and busy streets. While we now go between Columbus and Memorial Days, how lucky you are to have the opportunity to be there year round. Thanks for the parade memories. I’ve begun a new tradition (about 4 years worth) of visiting the cider press that shows up one weekend a year. Not a long entertainment value, but boy that cider is good.
October 10, 2010 at 10:18 pm
Bob,
Happy Birthday!
I figure if you have been coming here for 35 years you are no longer tourists but summer people-there’s a huge difference, and I never take swipes at summer people.
I have even enjoyed camping at Nickerson but admit to coming home to take showers.
I never miss a parade here.
October 10, 2010 at 6:24 pm
We have our local parades a week before Christmas here and all the High School students; girls scouts; boy scouts; even ROTC show up for a mile tour around the island. Then the boat parades start usually on a Friday night and run from one wet community to the other on down to Satellite Beach. It’s amazing how these people with big rigs can decorate the boats. I bet it costs a small fortune. But people gather from all over to see them ride up and down the canal system and back out into Sykes Creek or the Indian River. It is also a celebration of Snow Bird season where all the people who bothered you for the summer arrive down here for the winter. We love them. They are 19% of our local economy. YAY snow birds!
October 10, 2010 at 10:20 pm
Z&Me,
You’re right abut the tourists: my taxes are the 8th or 1oth lowest in the state because of them; however, that doesn’t stop me from complaining.
I have seen films of the boat parade-beautiful!
October 11, 2010 at 10:01 pm
My Dear Hedley,
Carry a first aid kit!
I love seeing wild turkeys strut down the street.