Come and see the parade!

That's right, I promised that I would share photos of Henderson's Sauerkraut Days parade that was held last Sunday and here they are. I know this has nothing to do with quilting but you never know when you might see something that will inspire a quilt. I heard "inspiring words" all around me as the parade came down the street..........parents urging their children that they needed to stand and salute as the Color Guard marched by. It was like a ripple that went through the crowd as the men marched by and then men, women and children stood in honor and respect of those who have served and those who are currently serving our country in the military.

If my information is correct there is at least one grandfather and grandson pair in the photo above. The Color Guard stopped to salute with the firing of their guns. They were almost right next to us.

I love the sound of the rifle salute but my grandson has some hearing issues and loud noises really bother him. He covered his ears during the firing of the guns (and when the fire trucks came by, too).

Every parade has to have a Grand Marshall ...............

but not every parade has a Kraut King!

The history of Sauerkraut Days is sketchy but sometime back in the 1930's a festival began that would celebrate that great German treat and, of course, there was a contest to see who could eat the most in the shortest amount of time. That tradition continues today. If you go here you can see a black and white photo, likely from the 1950's, with folks ready to down their plate of sauerkraut in record time. My Aunt Bell used to make sauerkraut and I am sorry to say that memories of the smell of it, do not whet my appetite like a brat cooking on the grill will do. :-)

There were lots and lots of queens and princesses on a number of floats. Here is the newly crowned Miss Henderson and her court.

You can't have a parade without kids.............

and you must have a band........this is the local LeSueur-Henderson High School band.

And here is another float with some more local royalty.............

You may notice that their waves are synchronized. I wonder who started that wave? I just remember that when I was a kid, the queen's waved their hand like they were really waving at you. Made me feel special. Sorry but I am not a fan of the current wave. Enough on that, however...........anybody have an idea what "Kolacky Days" is? Since this is a celebration day and it's associated with the flag and all things red, white and blue, how about a prize if you can answer that question. Since this is basically a blog about quilting and fabric, I'm inspired by this colorful float and will send four pretty patriotic fat quarters to the person who correctly tells me what "Kolacky Days" is and also, you must tell me what a "Kolacky" is. :-) I know the answer.........I'm just giving you a chance to have some fun. :-) If more than one of you has the right answer, I'll put the correct entries along with your name into my basket and let my "Random Number Man" draw a winner.

Okay, back to the parade............

Two little girls were pulling this wagon with two tiny kittens in it. My daughter said she needed to stay away from the wagon or she'd end up bringing one of them home. She already has two cats that were kittens that she couldn't say no to. LOL!

The area Shriner's from the Twin Cities entertained with their driving skills in these mini Corvettes. There was also a Shriner's Motorcycle group and I missed that picture. They really went .......zoom, zoom, zoom!!

There were a few rain showers during the parade but entrants and the crowd came prepared with umbrellas.............

This next entry comes from the Sioux Falls, South Dakota area and they are an awesome drumline!! Before we moved to Henderson, I'd never heard of them. Now I love to hear them. To read the history of the group, just go here . If you live in the midwest, they may be marching in a parade near you, so go here for their 2010 schedule.

So, I really like the drumline but two of my favorite things in a parade are ..........the tractors...........

and the horses............

Riding a horse is on my "bucket list"............someday...........

Does this dog remind you of the "Shaggy Dog" movie starring Tommy Kirk? Loved that movie.

The parade ended with some classic cars. These were what my grandson, Jacob, was waiting to see. This purple chevy is awesome..........

My dad would have liked this coupe.........

But Jacob's favorite was this Mustang!

That's all folks..............

The End.


Happy Independence Day!!