Sawyerville's biggest annual event always takes place on the first Saturday in November. This year it was November 1. And a gorgeous fall day for it, although quite chilly with a stiff wind blowing.
Look easterly from outside my front gate and you'll see the headquarters of the Sawyerville Volunteer Fire Department plus an indication of the parked cars that will line the sides of the road a good half mile up the road, where the parade begins. It ends in Downtown Sawyerville, exiting north beside the big old brick Martin store. |
The idea for the parade began several years ago when Sawyerville had been hit by a number of troubling events involving drugs, shootings, and a few deaths. The local churches thought having a parade would be a good way to present a more positive vision of the community. The first one was so successful that it has become an annual event. |
The kids seem to love it, and the fact that candies and other small treats are thrown from the passing vehicles may have something to do with that. This year I noted that lots of the children had brought plastic bags with them in which to collect the largess. You will see no white people, for as usual my sister and I are the only persons of that color in attendance at the parade. We both like to support the community in this annual event. |
There are marching bands and strutting cheerleaders . . .
. . . floats, usually representing local churches . . .
. . . usually a big fire truck, but this year the local department seemed to want to show off its new acquisition, a smaller rescue truck (Back in the day, Roscoe hated the parade because the fire truck, siren shrieking, would inch its way through Sawyerville. He like for it to go through fast, for then he thought his barking had something to do with its being chased out of town) . . . |