While the Commander-in-Chief back in Washington, D.C. fantasizes about having his own military-themed parade later this year, here we’re too busy getting ready to launch our own year of parades. All of them honor our veterans with a lead-off color guard and salute but all our local seasonal and themed parades mostly honor our culture, traditions, our young people and our diversity. For the most part, they are more like peace parades than martial processions.
Sonoma County’s parade season kicks off this Saturday, Feb. 17 with Cloverdale’s Citrus Fair Parade. Starting time is 11 a.m. and perfect parade weather is in the forecast.
We’re not sure what Mr. Trump wants his parade to stand for, but the Citrus Fair is mostly about fun. There will be marching bands, antique cars, young Citrus Fair royalty, proud local business floats, lots of old-timers and giant oranges and lemons. After the parade, the 126th annual Citrus Fair continues all weekend through Monday, President’s Day.
Sonoma County has a parade somewhere almost every month of the year. We think Mr. Trump should cancel some of his weekend golf outings and visit a few of our great little Main Street parades. He might learn that what makes America great is not a trillion-dollar war machine, but happy lines of peaceful citizens marching under red, white, blue and multi-colored banners.
In April, Sebastopol’s Apple Blossom Festival and Parade will take place again. It will be the 72nd annual tribute to the area’s rich agricultural heritage and its more modern additions of new enterprise, talent and eclectic politics. There will be no heavy military machines, but there will be prancing dachshunds in tutus and trotting llamas.
The Blessing of the Fleet, a boat parade, also takes place this April in Bodega Bay during the Fisherman’s Festival, sponsored by the Bodega Bay Chamber of Commerce.
As far as patriotic salutes and displays, Sonoma County has outstanding examples. The Petaluma Veteran’s Day parade draws thousands of spectators every November. The parade is meant to honor our fallen veterans of past wars, as well as pay tribute to the families and others who have shared in their sacrifices. Little Penngrove also hosts a rip-roaring red, white and blue-themed parade every Fourth of July.
Sonoma County is full of all kinds of other parades, too. Every summer, the Russian River community of Guerneville holds a Gay Pride Parade, featuring all the colors and cultural diversity of the rainbow. Guerneville really likes parades as they have been mounting Stumptown Daze parades for almost a century.
Healdsburg’s Future Farmers Country Fair Twilight Parade every May has been called an “authentic piece of Americana” by visiting journalists expecting to find a snobby wine country scene, only to encounter 4-Hers, other young farmers, trailers full of preschoolers, church groups, wheelbarrow brigades, Latino equestrians, tractors and giant vegetables.
The Town of Windsor has a very similar Windsor Days parade and this year it will be combined with Cinco de Mayo festivities on Saturday, May 5. Expect to see hundreds of school-age children in fancy orange, green and white outfits.
Little does not mean less in Sonoma County parade culture. The west county hamlet of Bodega holds “the biggest little parade” through its one-block street every August to benefit the volunteer fire department. The crowd always outnumbers the parade marchers.
And, Healdsburg’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Saturday, March 17) may be the area’s least-organized, and highest octane parade. The public promenade begins before dawn at a downtown bar and circles around the Plaza, almost looping itself. It’s as unmilitary as you can get and that’s how we like our parades.
