Pioneer Day Parade News

The Pioneer Day Parade was a big event for our family this year. Richard marched with the Lewis Middle School marching band playing the clarinet. Austin tumbled with the California Gold Gymnastics group. Madelyn rode on a float with the Class Act Dance Pre-performance group while dancing with her arms to the Beach Boys' "Dance, Dance, Dance". She was on entry #159. It was a long parade! Caitlyn and myself were part of the Peterson Elementary School group, with a cute little red schoolhouse float (the first Pioneer Day Parade float for Peterson as far as I know. I helped put the float together in my garage, and it was designed mainly by Audra Stout with Shannon Marshall and Alanna Davidson helping. Alanna's husband Jayson drove his suburban pulling the trailer for the float. I wore the school's panda costume and Caitlyn wore her pioneer bonnet and a prairie skirt my mom had sewn, with her Panda shirt. We were supposed to do a line dance that the performing arts club kids had worked on for a few weeks, but the parade moved so quickly that it was almost impossible to do any steps except the 2-step moving forward. It was hot and sweaty in that costume, and I could hardly see a thing. I would not wear it again! I was really happy with how the float turned out and I think all the kids had a great time. I was just disappointed that I missed seeing Richard's band and Austin in his group. I did catch Madelyn's float passing by near the very end. Our town really has the pioneer spirit!