Pumpkin Parade 2011 - Sycamore, IL

Various places around the country and world claim to have "The Granddaddy" or best of this or that, be it a parade, a festival, a beach or whatever. Sycamore is no different. They claim to have the longest running Halloween themed parade, they call it the Pumpkin Festival Parade.

I have attended a few parades, at different times of the year, but never at the end of October. The weather was blustery at best.

Of course the best part of the parade was hanging with Brock and other family members!

This is an annual event for the family and they always sit at the same corner. People put out "reservation" ropes and stuff all along the parade route the night before to make sure that they get their spot. 

I asked Norm if he had reserved our spot and he said no, not this year. He said that it is such a tradition that they sit at that corner every year that it was open when we got there. I'm thinking he was just lucky that nobody else wanted the smidgen of ground he chose.

Brock and Norm were playing in the leaves at different times during the parade. I told them it looked like fun but that I didn't want to get dirty.

Brock said I was being a fuddy duddy and yanked me out of my chair. I'm glad he did though, I had more fun watching the parade with him than from the chair.

Brock said he heard a train and was straining to see it. Then he asked if I could see it. I told him that Norm was messing with me and holding me back so I couldn't see.

Brock fixed that in a hurry and told Gbody to be nice to me. Ha, take that Norm!

The train was huge. I thought trains needed tracks but they had it rigged to drive on the street! How cool was that?

A little later Brock saw something coming that he had to make sure Ama (Jules) saw. He grabbed her by her finger and brought her right out to the curb.  Sometimes I wish he would grab my finger instead of my hat, but I guess I would need to take my hands out of my pockets first. He usually has me in his clutches before I can get my hands out though.

More throwing of leaves, only this time it was at Gbody! What fun. I made sure that the hand full of leaves I chucked at Norm had a stick in it but claimed it was an innocent mistake. Brock said I should be more careful, so I apologized.

Nearing the end of the parade Brock decided it was time to sit on his dad's shoulders. I think he had a much improved view from up there!

At the end of the parade before everyone took off we decided we should go to a restaurant. When we were deciding where to go it gave me the perfect excuse to get my picture taken with KC & Kyle. I'm glad KC doesn't grab my hat like Brock does!



That was the Pumpkin Festival Parade. Not too many pumpkins walking down the street but there were a few.

Time to go, I'm starvin' Marvin!!!

See ya,

Travis