Steamboat Days

The devil on my shoulder tells me that parades are stupid. He questions the fun of fighting for space in somebody's yard to sit and watch convertibles go by every 10 minutes with people waving to the crowd. He points out that these "floats" will be interspersed with self-amusing clowns that cause kids to recoil whenever they try to get too close. He reminds me that there will likely be several entries of Shriners pulling g-forces as they swerve their buggy-of-choice at the last moment, careening into the crowd. Tell me why is this supposed to be fun again....


But somehow I do manage to have a good time anyway, and this year's Steamboat Days Parade was no exception. The residents of Broadway Street had their properties blocked of 48-hours in advance of the parade, which makes it a little tough for the people of Winona to find a place to sit. Nevertheless, we found someplace pretty easily and didn't even have to park very far away. All the usual floats were entered, including my favorite steam coliope. The surprise favorite this year was the Waconia marching band which put on a dramatic and original show. Very impressive. Zoe The Limbo Princes was back again, receiving well-deserved applause.

The weather wasn't very cooperative; sunshine, rain, sunshine and finally rain that chased the crowds away. But everybody went home with a smile on their faces.