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Everybody_Loves_A_ Parade

Feature Article December 4

Feature Article December 4, 2002

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Everybody Loves a Parade

What makes a parade satisfying? When my daughter was young, she loved the Santa Claus parade. Then she reached a stage where she wanted to be part of the parade so badly, she could no longer enjoy watching it. The following year, we found a float she could wave from (In Sydenham, this isnt too difficult). Fame, it turned out, wasnt all it had been cracked up to be. That year, she complained that she felt she had missed the parade, for all she saw of it was the float ahead of hers. It had also been cold, sitting up there in the breeze for so long.

A mother herself now, she still enjoys the Santa Claus parade. She understands now that a good parade is about the watchers and the watched; everybody waves and laughs. Its performance art, street theatre, here-and-gone. Were all participants.

Sydenhams parade last Saturday was the longest and best in years. The parade route was well lined with watchers. For once, the sound of fire engine sirens brought laughter as we held our ears (that is, until they were called to a fire in Harrowsmith). There were clowns, dancers, marchers. There were big floats and tiny ones. So many folks came from Perth Road Public School that they had to ride their float in shifts The farmers with the Frontenac Federation of Agriculture dressed as Holsteins and handed out sticks of cheese. There were miniature horses and full-sized ones, and several costumed dogs. I did miss my favourite from past years, a basset hound who squeezed into a manger scene, once as an angel and another time as a rather short camel.

Santa was accompanied by Sandra, collecting his letters for him on behalf of Canada Post. Only one thing was missing, and with all the Sydenham High talent at Syds Caf surely next year we can have some live music?

With the participation of the Government of Canada