The Spring Parade

Earlier this week I read on the San Carlos forum that there was going to be a parade on Friday afternoon. The Kindergarten children from the local school were having a parade to celebrate the arrival of spring and it was to start at 5:00 PM. The parade route was going right by the campground. I was quite excited to see the youngsters since I miss my former students and I also recalled the wonderful parade we saw in Cozumel a few years ago. I made sure others in the campground knew about the parade and I even thought I heard the drum squad practicing the night before. At 5:00 sharp I dragged Senor Ping and Abbey to the entrance so we could get a good spot to watch the parade (I was thinking Stampede Parade or RoseBowl Parade). Soon we heard the police, firetrucks, ambulances and other emergency vehicles. Boy, they sure know how to get the crowd excited. The line of vehicles went by us heading east and then soon they did a U-turn and headed west but we didn't see any children. After waiting about 20 minutes we decided it must be "Mexican time" so back to the trailer we went. I waited and watched and then headed back to the street. A few locals were standing around, but were they waiting for the parade or the bus? Senor Ping arrived and a few others from the campground. Finally at close to 6:00 we saw the lead vehicle and then the children. They were dressed in a variety of costumes and were walking with parents, preschoolers, and what could have been older siblings or friends.
Now, before I go on about how cute they all were I have to put this into perspective for my Saskatchewan friends and family. Picture this: 25 kindergarten age students walking down the middle of 22nd street from Midtown Plaza to Avenue P. in Saskatoon at rush hour with no opportunity for any vehicles behind them to turn off . Now we know that would never happen in Saskatoon but it certainly happened here and no one seemed to mind. It wasn't quite the same as watching hundreds of floats and marching bands but the parents and children were having a great time (well, almost all of them) and it was all for a good cause. They're fundraising so they can renovate the bathrooms at the school. Here are a few pictures of the children and the traffic lined up behind them.