Kids take control of streets for a day
A cavalcade of kids strutted their stuff Saturday as thousands of people lined the sidewalks of downtown Spokane for the 54th annual Junior Lilac Parade.
Even bad weather couldn’t rain on this parade. Despite drizzle and chilly temperatures, the thousands of kids from throughout the area kept on smiling as they played their instruments, waved their flags and marched to music along the mile-long route.
“This is all about the kids – it’s their chance to shine,” said Erika Houck, who sat on the sidewalk along the parade route, sharing a blanket with five of her six children. They arrived early to watch Houck’s daughter, 14-year-old Virginia, perform with the Salk Middle School drill team.
An eighth-grader, Virginia Houck has been getting up early for the past month in order to make it to the team’s 6:45 a.m. practices at school. “They’ve worked really hard,” Houck said.
While the annual Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade – which takes place later this month – features elaborate floats, high school marching bands and equestrian entries, the Junior Lilac Parade is exclusively about the kids. Sponsored by the Spokane Jaycees, Saturday morning’s procession gave elementary and middle school bands the opportunity to march and perform in front of thousands of people. It also was a way for toddlers and preschoolers, some who probably couldn’t stay awake long enough to make it through the Torchlight Parade, to be part of a popular community event.
“It’s the children that make this interesting,” said Gloria Schak of Spokane. Along with her husband, Gilbert, the couple haven’t missed a Junior Lilac Parade for the last 42 years. Their children all took part in the annual event, said Gilbert Schak. Now, they’re there to watch their 8-year-old granddaughter.
“I’m really impressed with the kids,” said Kelly Taylor, whose 12-year-old son plays the bass clarinet for the Salk Middle School band. Even though they’re young, they carried themselves with confidence, he said. And their music definitely entertained the crowd, he said.
For more than an hour, kids from area schools, Girl Scout troops, Camp Fire and other clubs brightened the streets with brassy sounds and vivid costumes as they all adhered to the 2005 theme of “magical wonders.”
Several little girls dressed up as princesses; others flitted about in fairy-like costumes with garland and sparkly ribbons in their hair.
Marching bands enhanced their uniforms so they, too, could match the theme. The Sacajawea Middle School drill team donned colorful masks fit for a Mardi Gras celebration to accompany the red feathered boas around their necks. Kids from Chase Middle School appeared straight out of the Disney movie “Fantasia.” While some wore caps with Mickey Mouse ears, others stood out even more with their capes and velvet, pointy wizard hats adorned with glittery moons and stars, just like the kind Mickey Mouse wore in the movie.
Other schools offered their own interpretation of “magical wonders” by dressing up like characters from “Shrek” and “Alice in Wonderland” or wearing SpongeBob T-shirts.
Parents, meanwhile, captured every moment on film as they walked along the parade route with video cameras. Those who weren’t moving tried to stay warm in their folding chairs by wearing fleece jackets and gloves and wrapping themselves up in blankets. Others, like Trish Foucault came even more prepared. On her way out the door, she and her children brought along a pastel-colored patio umbrella to block the wind and keep them dry.
“It’s good to see all the little kids participate,” said Karla Dagley, who drove from the Tri-Cities on Saturday to see her grandchild perform. “This is a fun tradition for the family.”