everybody loves a parade

When i was last at my dad's it just happened to be Appreciation Week and i went to my first full-on golf cart parade. I've seen little ones around Christmas at my mom's house, but this was themed and had prizes so I had no idea what to expect.

Of course there was a color guard

and the park banner,

but i wasn't expecting fire trucks

or a drum line.

These people take their neighborhood parades seriously.
The theme for this parade was The Circus
CLOWN ALERT, REA
and even the Grand Marshals got into the Big Top mood.

The various clubs in the parade are regional based on where people are originally from, and no, there is no Florida Club. I didn't take pictures of everything, but here are some highlights.
First up was Canada

  
who had a very patriotic, if non-thematic, showing.
New York/New Jersey gave us
the Big Apple Garden State Circus

 

and they had this clown  who seemed very enthusiastic and glad to see me for no apparent reason; it was only later that i realized that it was my dad's neighbor.

 Helllllooooo, Mid-Atlantic!
My dad is the president of this club and they had some folks in costume

 (the lady on that bike in full costume is 90!)
   

while other carts had been turned into animal cages,
like it was a circus train:
 tigers are my favorite,
especially since my dad was driving 

  

cool, huh?  

New England had a clown parade

singing as they marched,
followed by their states' flags.

Finally,  Midwest was something of a spectacle

  
Like any good parade there was candy and toys (and popsicles cause it was so dang hot) being handed out and thrown from the golf carts. A clown handed me this great purple ring
 but i think we might be engaged now cause every time he saw me after that he blew me kisses and came over to get a hug.
Here's me and my roustabout dad by the polar bear cage (painted by another lady in the club who's 90).

Good times and certainly a new thing.
[BTW, dad's club took second place!]