Parents organized lawn chairs on the curb, while the kids danced in eager anticipation of the candy that would be thrown from the floats during Carson Valley Days annual parade Saturday morning.
"The parade is nice, but getting candy is the best thing," said Brooklyn, who was quick to point out that she was 63Ú4 years old. "People are throwing it from the floats."
A Gardnerville Elementary School student, she was viewing the parade at Esmeralda Avenue and Fifth Street before taking a seat on the Wells Fargo Bank stagecoach, the last parade entry.
The fragrance of roses from the park mingled with the tropical scent of sunscreen and the day was warm, clear and bright.
Douglas County resident Irene Gaikowski stood on the corner in downtown Minden neatly decked out in red, white and blue. Her husband was playing a polka with his accordion on the float that had just passed.
"Small-town parades are the greatest," she said. "This is the first one I've been to here and it's great, but there hasn't been any emphasis on Minden's centennial. They should be proud of being 100 years old. It's a big deal."
The route follows Esmeralda Avenue in downtown Minden south to Highway 395, ending at Lampe Park.
This election year the politicians, including District 39 candidates Joetta Brown, Rick Gardner, Barbara Smallwood and James Settelmeyer, who smiled, waved and joked with the crowds.
The Douglas County Democratic Women's float followed closely on the heels of Republican commission candidate David Brady.
With fists and legs flying in unison, a swarm of Little Ninjas gave an impressive demonstration of their Karate skills and horses trained by the Douglas County Mounted Posse members pranced neatly in formation.
The Pau-Wa-Lu Panthers and Douglas High School band joined forces to perform a medley old-fashioned marching tunes and girls from the Carson Valley Softball league sprayed the crowd with super-sized squirt guns.
"I told them to get me," said Jace Hart, a 7-year-old Minden Elementary School second grader as he stood on the sidewalk, his shirt soaked.
"The parade is nice, really nice," he said. "You get to see the floats, and everyone you know. There are lots of people I know here, from school."
Carson Valley Days continued after the parade, the focus switching to Lampe Park where a host of family events, including tractor pulls, tug-o-wars and tricycle races were scheduled.
The event also includes a craft show, carnival and live music through 4 p.m. today, all at Lampe Park.
This is the 96th year for this event, established in 1910 by H.F. Dangberg, founder of the town Minden.
"All the local farmers and residents would get together in mid-June after the season's first hay cutting," according to the sponsors of the event, Carson Valley Active 20Ú30 Club. "It was a time for gathering because after the first cutting, most families would become really busy and wouldn't see each other."
The 20Ú30 Club is a national organization that raises money for children's charities. The proceeds from this event are donated to the special needs kids of Douglas County.
Susie Vasquez can be reached at svasquez@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 211.
