It's 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning... hundreds of folks line the main drag of the Town of Davie, anxiously looking north for the first sign of movement. We were out in force, three generations of local Davie residents from two sides of the family. Our supplies: a cooler full of beverages (non-alcoholic), a truck tailgate or two, three cameras, and six folding chairs that hadn't been cleaned since their last trip to the glades. I hadn't been to the parade for a few years, but it had been a yearly custom for the family since it began. My grandmother had been highly involved with the local historical society and the Old Davie School Museum which did a float every year. I'd been on that float one year, dressed as a pioneer for the "Pioneer Days" theme. Dressed in our gingham dresses and matching bonnets, we waved and threw candy and oranges.
Enough reminiscing, when was this thing going to start?
Then, a sound...faint at first. It was sirens. Eight motorcycle cops, members of Davie's finest, driving slowly down the road and waving at the masses. A cheer went up from the crowds along the street and the cops answered with every available sound effect they had.
Ah, the feeling of triumph and anticipation at the start of a parade! Your adrenaline pumps and you wonder what will come next. This is how it happened; I realized that the parade had lost some of its glamor now that I was older. Or maybe it wasn't just me... maybe the advertising dollars had won out...
The theme for the parade, which is part of the ORANGE BLOSSOM FESTIVAL, was Wild West. There was one orange themed float from the New River Groves, the same float which has participated in the parade every ear as far back as I can remember, and has become a symbol for the town...those who spend enough time in it to understand its history a bit.
Parades are supposed to have lots of floats. This parade had four. My definition of floats is narrow...a city council member sitting in the back of their husbands pickup truck in a rocking chair and waving with re-election signs all over the sides...this is not a float. A line of ten top selling models from a sponsoring car dealership with the logo of the dealership on the side? NOT A FLOAT! In fact, not even exciting at all. If I had to put these parade participants in a category unto themselves, it would be in the "Don't invite them back next year," category...unless they are going to dress up the cars with themed gimmicks and throw candy for the kiddies.
There were some high points. The Mahi Shriners rode out with their antique fire truck and rescue vehicles form the 40s. The shriners were dressed as rodeo clowns and handed out buttons and candy while stopping every few yards to perform slapstick antics. The military vets brought out their antique vehicles, circa WWII, including an old loudspeaker truck with VOA placards all over the sides...pretty cool to see one of the original methods of spreading propaganda riding down the street in a small town in South Florida.
The stagecoaches were neat as well...complete with two beautiful Clydesdales to pull the smartly dressed southern ladies in the cab and the gun-toting western rangers on the driver's seat. Thanks Bergeron, for delivering and holding true to the traditional parade ideals.
The local chapter of Hell's Angels Wannabes came out with their hogs and rode in circles and trick formations. A local citizen who had turned an twenty-year old fire rescue truck into a vehicular spectacle that looked like it would take off at any moment and fly to the nearest emergency call, turned circles in the street and rocked back on two wheels. The truck had wings, literally, and a hose that sprayed water out of the radiator grate into the crowds, proving that the vehicle COULD still rescue something.
Of course, there were the usual baton groups, gymnastics teams, and school bands (three), as well as the visually stunning riding clubs with their prancing appaloosas and paints. The Pro Rodeo ladies rode out with their flags, twenty of them in total, all in matching red, white, and blue.
These few highlights were diminished by the lengthy stretches of politicians, car dealerships, and local business advertisers who didn't dress up their vehicles or their characters. I'd expected better from the town. I can only hope that next year gets better, but my cynical side tells me to expect more car dealerships and local council members bidding for advertising time. I will hold out hope for better presentation from the corporate sponsors and for goodness sake, throw some candy, people!
I also have a suggestion for next year's theme...Oranges! It's an orange blossom festival after all...just focus on the citrus! I think that's enough gimmick in itself. Davie isn't a wild West town, nor is it a place of pioneers in covered wagons! True, we are big on rodeos and cowboy honor, but a parade on the true history of South Florida should include some more gators, some Seminoles, and some railroad. Give it a shot, Davie!
