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Poultry Days
Parade worth the wait
By Bob Robinson
VERSAILLES – It was 9:45 a.m. on June 16 when people started lining the
streets of the parade route, relaxing in the shade on a relatively cool
morning.
“We wanted to be able to find a place to park,” said Myron and Bonnie
Whitted of Greenville. “Any later and we’d have to walk a lot further.”
Further down, three girls were dancing in the blocked off street. One
stopped…
“I know you,” she said.
“From Greenville? You must go to Woodland or East schools?”
“Yes! I go to Woodland,” she said.
Tarryn DeHart is the Woodland student and her sister Karmen a student
at East. With them was their cousin Zorrianna.
“So why are you here so early?”
“We’re excited!”
They were waiting for a parade that wouldn’t be hitting their part of
the route for about one and a half hours. With over 106 entries, it
would be another hour after that before the last entry passed by.
According to Versailles firefighter Derek Smith, parade coordinator,
they begin planning for the event as early as October or November.
“We want to make sure the Shriners will be available,” he said. “In
March we invite the dignitaries and in April we send out about 200
general invitations.”
He said that despite a published cutoff date they still get last-minute
entries.
“We’ve had six new entries since Thursday,” he said. He acknowledged
the Versailles parade, which is run by the fire department, is one of
the largest in the county. Smith added that several changes had been
made, including a more simplified staging area.
“Wood Street is now the main staging area,” he said.
On Main Street, 3-year-old Ella Warren of Greenville got a pleasant
surprise. She got to see Santa Claus. He offered proof… his
International Drivers License from the DMV, Expiration: Never.
“I never miss the parade,” Santa said. “And I love the chicken!”
Along the exit route on Center Street, Tarryn, Karmen and Zorriana
managed to add three more young ladies to their dance troupe… only
another half hour before the parade reaches them.
After that, their main goal was to grab as much tossed out candy as
possible.
About 11:15 the first of the 2013 Poultry Days Parade entries made its
appearance… honoring the nation’s veterans and service men and women. A
short time later, the float that created a stir in the 2012 parade was
passing… a depiction of the taking of Iwo Jima by live re-enactors.
According to Chad Davidson of Greenville, who was driving one of the
military vehicles, the flag used for the float actually flew over
Normandy in 1944.
The Versailles Poultry Days Parade was a long wait for many of the
spectators that morning, but according to one from out of town, it was
worth the wait.
See Set 2 of the Versailles Poultry Days Grand Parade photos here
See Set 3 of the Versailles Poultry Days Grand Parade photos here
See Set 4 of the Versailles Poultry Days Grand Parade photos here
Published courtesy
of The Early Bird
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