Parade, not so impromptu, returns to La Conner

Although no longer billed as the Not So Impromptu Parade, the magic remained in place in La Conner last Saturday, April 9. Now titled the Tulip Festival Parade by its organizer and sponsor, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, the 2022 version was bigger than ever, back in full swing after a two-year pandemic induced hiatus.

What’s more, the Town of La Conner’s Fire Department’s 1941 white truck started up First Street on time at 2 p.m. It led some 45 entrants, some of them, thankfully, last minute registrants, in keeping with the 35 year tradition.

The parade, dreamed up by Luke and Lila Long in 1987, included, as it did the first year, Shriners in miniature cars, clowns, two story John Deere green and yellow tractors and a tractor pulling the Schuh farmstand wagon.

Fellow fifth graders got to see four of their classmates, crowned the week before as this year’s royalty, the La Conner Kiwanis Club Daffodil Court, waving from a wagon, holding bouquets of daffodils and wearing their crowns.

Not to be outdone, several kids from the 4-H club rode in on their horses, accompanied by fellow club members, including a girl dressed as the 4-H four leaf clover.

Local adults came out in full force. Marching behind their respective banners were La Conner Rotary Club members, La Conner Soroptimists, La Conner Civic Garden Club members, Shelter Bay Social and Recreation Committee and, in cars, Kiwanis Club members. The Daughters of the American Revolution marched too, of course.

Animals, yes. Dogs of various sizes, shapes and colors. An Easter Bunny, at least six feet tall and handing out candy, naturally. Shetland ponies, miniature donkeys and more horses than ever before. They walked, they pranced, they trotted, and they danced down First Street. The Skagit Latin Horses Association made their La Conner debut. Men and women wearing traditional and colorful Latin clothing, including sombreros and cowboy hats, rode their steeds and waved at the crowd, who cheered in response. Their horses began trotting and bringing their legs up high, but all under control.

There was the Sedro-Woolley Rodeo Queen, in red, white and blue, on her horse,too.

The big-eyed salmon net biker was back, also. And a pirate showed up, brandishing pistols, a flag and a skull.

There were classic cars and trucks, spanning generations. Fire District 13 and the McLean Road Fire Department sent trucks. The Skagit Bay Search and Rescue boat was high and dry on its trailer. And the orange and black Meow Mix car circled around to bring up the rear, as it does every year.

Of course there was a crowd. Well before 2 p.m. on this perfect, blue sky, 50 degree spring day, puffy white clouds ringing every horizon like the crown of an elderly man, made perfect weather conditions for La Conner residents and visitors of all ages lining First Street from the Lime Dock all the way to Maple Hall. They were well positioned to catch candy and take pictures of families, friends and total strangers on the floats and they did as the 20 minute parade passed them by.

And the winners were, well everyone who came out for the first parade of the season. Parade announcers Rachel Woods, a Festival board member and her volunteer companion, Phil Pruhomme, chose the Skagit Latin Horses Association as the best entry.

In the background was Valley Tulip Festival Director Cindy Verge, the parade’s organizational sponsor and the day’s manager. It is now her parade, but she honored – following the spirit of the decades – the late, unregistered participants who joined in. When she ran out of numbers, she started assigning letters to entrants and “at the end, just let people go.” Among the last were two little girls with butterfly wings and their mom. Verge directed then out of the path and behind the much larger horses.

It was, as Verge said, “that kind of day and people were just out and about and excited to be a part of it.”

Verge was right: The Tulip Festival brought the show to town this year. She was thankful, of course, to the Town’s staff and volunteers and Port of Skagit staff.