by Jody Spear and Kelly Meyer –
MASON CITY – Saturday was a wonderful day for the 2012 Band Festival Parade in Mason City. Crowds of people everywhere. The full stretch of East State Street was packed, four or five deep with onlookers and Band Fest regulars waiting for the parade to start.
At 10:00 AM the sound of the Mason City High School Band was heard, making it’s way south on North Pennsylvania Avenue. They were followed by the many bands, kings and queens, floats and people representing North Iowa businesses and organizations.
The weather, what can we say about the weather? At ten o’clock we had cloud cover, but shortly after the sun was beginning to peak out. The sun was nice, not too hot, but wait, is that sprinkles everybody was wondering. Yes, sprinkles enough to dampen the area from one mysterious overhead dark cloud. The wind picked up, twice, blowing over lawn chairs and forcing people to zip up their sweatshirts or close their spring jackets. Finally the sun came back and remained until the end of the parade.
At the corner of North Penn and East State Street, the First Baptist Church had set up a tent so they could sell goodies to the hungry and thirsty. The friendly volunteers were selling cotton candy, hotdogs, popcorn, candy bars and sodas. They were polite enough to let NIT use their truck to take better pictures of the parade.
The Band Festival Parade in Pictures… please click: http://public.fotki.com/Meyer-SpearPhotos/ and enjoy more pictures.
Watch video:
Isn’t it a shame that no one in Mason City has the intelligence to see a “gift” and act on it. Here we have the 50th anniversary of the Meredith Willson Music Man movie and there isn’t one person in that hick town who can think.
December is the Rose Bowl parade and with a little planning and a big push by the Chamber I would bet we could have witnessed the Mason City High School Band marching in the parade, belting out “76 Trombones”. All this FLW crap, etc. doesn’t hold a candle to the man behind this music.
He lived an admiral life, visited his home town when able and his widow “poured” in lot of money to help honor his memory. FLW was real low life!
The least the city could have done was make the 50th year anniversary of the movie something very special for both the city and his memory. I’m sure it’s too late now.
Im very curious as to why there wasnt a float from our 2 major corporations (Kraft and Curries)? Its pretty sad that these 2 didnt have a float. Hell Kraft must really be broke they didnt have the usual tent up giving out their treats. Thats the best advertising you can get. The management should be ashamed about this and I know you both give $$$$ to the festival but get a float for next year. And Kraft get some more treats for the people that come down to the park.
“WELFARE FEST” is more like it. The festivities at East Park have become a joke – how sad. I’m certain Meredith Willson has turned in his grave ! Chamber & Committee , what has happened ???
Elmwood in Mason City, not a fancy grave just very simply.
Were you down in the park Saturday night?? Both of the bands were great!And from what I was told Fridays concert was great to. So to the Chamber I personaly thought you all did a fantastic job, and the group of people I was with all agree.
There will always be scum around, just deal with it.
I really love that chicken!
I think there’s gaps because the bands are perfoming before the judges. Maybe they should spread out the shriners in their little cars to buzz around during those gaps to fill the time.
I wonder if there gets to be gaps during the parade when the bands are performing before the judges. Maybe they should spread out the shriners cars to fill in some of those. They could apeed around to fill the time during the gaps.
This happened about half way down State Street.
Went to the North Iowa Band Festival Parade on Saturday morning in Mason City. About 80% through the parade there was a 10 minute gap. About half the people left. Felt sorry for the Osseo, MN (NW edge of Minneapolis) band that traveled all this way to play for half the crowd.
I know exactly what gap your talking about. Were you sitting any where near St Paul? If you were, did you fail to notice the ambulance be dispatched to the corner of state and Connecticut for a medical emergency? Still not sure what happened to that man but they slowed everyone down to go around and stopped them at one point and made the crowd split to get the ambulance out.