Parade lets kids show heroic side

It’s all about the kids.

No other parade in the region celebrates the hard work and talents of young people the way the Junior Lilac Parade does every year.

“This is their moment to shine,” said Laura Camacho, of Spokane, who has watched the annual procession for 20 years. “It’s just awesome to see these children perform and get involved.”

On Saturday, nearly 100 marching bands, drill teams, dance troupes and others took part in the 56th annual Junior Lilac Parade – one of the largest parades in the country to feature elementary and middle school students.

Unlike next weekend’s Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade, which includes elaborate floats, high school marching bands and equestrian entries, the junior parade traditionally takes place in the morning and focuses exclusively on children.

Saturday’s event brought together students from area schools, as well as participants from as far as Mukilteo, Wash., and Hermiston, Ore. It also drew thousands of spectators – mothers and fathers, grandparents, aunts and uncles, teachers, neighbors and many others who wanted to support young people.

“I’m here because of Deandré Solomon,” said Elaine Townsend, of Spokane. “I’m his proud grandmother.”

Solomon, 13 and a drummer for the Chase Middle School marching band, was playing in his first Junior Lilac Parade. So Townsend – along with her 11 other grandchildren and their parents – covered part of a sidewalk along Spokane Falls Boulevard with lawn chairs, blankets and strollers.

“This is my whole flock here,” she said. “We got front-row seats. I’m just so happy and excited to be here, today.”

Sponsored by the Rotaract Club of Spokane, this year’s Junior Lilac Parade focused on the theme “Heroes Among Us.”

For more than an hour, school marching bands and drill teams, Girl Scout troops, Camp Fire groups and others brightened the streets with brassy sounds and vivid costumes based on their interpretation of the theme.

Inevitably, many sported Superman T-shirts. Some also dressed up like Batman, Spider-Man and other superheroes.

Several members of Chase Middle School’s drill team, for instance, wore red capes and Supergirl costumes. Their banner stated: “It’s a bird … It’s a plane … There are heroes among us.”

Jenkins Middle School, from Chewelah, had a different take on the theme. While the band wore white shirts, black ties and dark sunglasses, the drill team endured the near 80-degree temperatures in trench coats and Sherlock Holmes-style hats while performing a skit that involved passing around several briefcases.

Other groups gave the “Heroes Among Us” theme a military flair by saluting the armed forces.

Sacajawea Middle School’s drill team wore red or navy T-shirts with white skirts, polka-dot shoes and classic white sailor hats. Behind them, the middle school’s marching band wore camouflage.

While most schools focused on superheroes, the armed forces and firefighters, members of the East Valley PEP Program waved flags from different countries around the world while wearing the traditional clothing of those nations. “Heroes celebrate diversity and promote world peace,” declared their banner.

As the kids marched along the one-mile parade route, their parents and others cheered them on and waved. Many captured every moment, walking and sometimes even jogging along the parade route with video cameras.

Parents can’t help but feel proud of these kids, said Linda Day, of Spokane, who hasn’t missed a Junior Lilac Parade in the past 16 years.

Getting ready for a performance takes lots of work, she acknowledged.

“This is a lot of fun, and it’s all about the kids,” Day said. “People need to remember that these are our future leaders. We need to encourage them and give them their time in the spotlight.”