PARADE DAY !!!

WRITTEN BY REX

THE MAPLE LEAF PARADE AT THE OKTOBERFEST IN LA CROSSE SHOULDN’T BE CALLED A “PARADE”, IT AN EVENT !!! AS A SPECTATOR IT BEGINS THE EVENING BEFORE AS YOU TRY TO STEAK OUT YOUR CURBSIDE SPACE FOR VIEWING THE PARADE. THE POLICE PATROL THE STREETS CHASING OFF SQUATTERS UNTIL MIDNIGHT. AT MIDNIGHT, THAT GAME ENDS, AND YOU CAN ROPE OFF YOUR AREA, AND GO HOME AND CATCH A NAP, UNTIL ABOUT 7:00 AM, THEN IT’S BACK TO DEFEND YOUR TERRITORY. THEY CLOSE THE STREETS AT 6:00 AM FOR THE MARATHON RUNNERS, SO MARY AND I LEFT CAMP AT 5:00 AM TO ILLEGALLY PARK THE TRUCK AT THE SIGHT BECAUSE WE HAD ALL THE BRATS, COOLERS, TABLE, AND CHAIRS. IT’S MORE LIKE A CAMPSITE, AND BEING THE 46TH ANNUAL PARADE ALL VERY ORGANIZED. THE SAME FAMILIES STEAK OUT IN THE SAME AREA EVERY YEAR AND EVEN BRING IN A PORT-POTTY FOR THE EVENT. IT COSTS EVERYBODY $1-$2 DONATION THE FIRST TIME YOU USE THE CAN AND THEN IT’S FREE AFTER THAT. BY 9:00 AM YOU’RE INTO THE BRAT’S & BEER, OR BLOODY MARY’S FROM SLOOPY’S BAR ON THE CORNER. THE PARADE FINALLY BEGINS AT 10:00 AM. THE PARADE LASTS FOUR HOURS, AND MUST INCLUDED EVERY PRINCESS AND MARCHING BAND FROM THE THREE STATE AREA. HELL MY ARM WAS GETTING TIRED JUST WAVING BACK AT THOSE BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADIES, AND THE POLITICIANS, FROM LOCAL JUDGE RIGHT UP TO GOVERNOR. BUT EVERYONE LOVES A PARADE !!! ESPECIALLY WITH A BEER IN ONE HAND AND A BRAT IN THE OTHER !!! TRADITIONALLY AFTER THE PARADE IT’S OFF TO THE NORTH SIDE FEST GROUNDS, THE BEER TENT, AND THE LIVE BAND. MARY AND I MUST BE GETTING OLD , AS WE RETURNED TO CAMP FOR A NAP INSTEAD. BUT NOT TO WORRY IT’S OFF TO THE BEER TENT, AND ENTERTAINMENT TOMORROW NIGHT TO HEAR THE WHITE SIDEWALLS, A 60’S MUSIC BAND, WELL KNOWN THROUGH OUT THE TRI-STATE AREA.