Parades

[cccmommy]

No nightmare parade thread would be complete without mentioning the Barnum Festival Parade in Bridgeport CT.

One particular year it was incredibly hot. The organizers had told us that it was only a mile route (only off by a mutiple of three or four) so we were in full unis (old Bucs blue coats and black hats). The drumline was carrying new drums. People watching the parade were kind enough to spray us with hoses but the drum staff (naturally) wouldn't let them spray anywhere near the new drums. Probably about halfway through, I could hear the first crash of cymbals hitting the ground as someone passed out. I don't know how many dropped all together but we kept on going until the end of the parade, the drum line just kept closing up the holes as they lost people.

[dckid80]

Christmas parade

Middleton, MA

1979

Started off cold and clear

Once we began marching and playing we were fine.

Then the snow started.

Marched the last 2 miles in a blizzard.

The wet was hideous and the bus ride home smelled worse than any locker room.

[DNgo]

I was marching a parade in '99 somewhere and one of our lead sops dropped out due to heat......then another due to stomach illness. Pretty soon it was just me on lead. Not a fun experience when we had been playing ALL DAY! :)

[BlueStarsFan]

one thing..........

crowd stepping

[euphonium96]

Runner up (2nd worst): Hoffman Estates, IL - St. Patrick's Day, 1992 - My first parade or marching performance EVER - Age 12, on soprano bugle - it snowed; wet ILLINOIS late winter/early spring snow - YUK! (Probably why I live in the desert today) :P I distinctly remember the cuffs and lower parts of my pant legs being caked with ice at the end of the route.

Most worstest ever-est worst-of-the-worst parade: Racine, WI - Independence Day, 2000 - For starters, It was my first - and last time - "hung over" (Let's leave it at this: The numbers we "earned" at the Rockford show the night before drove me to drink... Something weird always happens when I compete in Rockford). ANYWAYS... It was a looooong hot parade made worse by my condition. Top it off with this: some ###hole pegged me square in the ear with a "popper" (fire-cracker device, looks like a white paper "tadpole" filled with black powder - explodes upon contact with a hard surface...etc.) Racine is an awesome 4th of July town and contest - but the headache of intoxication, a five-some-odd mile parade, and poppers makes for a very unhappy 4th. :(

[IllianaLancerContra]

Some fourth of July parade in a Chicago suburb. There was a circus in town. We were behind the elephants

[zarblap]

Playing at a st.patrick's day parade in buffalo,NY.,in a blizzard,trying to play snare with gloves on and horn players gettting there mouthpieces frozen to there lips....

Edited September 25, 2006 by zarblap

[kansasDC]

I started marching at the age of 5, playing cymbals. Drum writers were really into snares playing ride cymbals back in those days. Marching backwards for miles on end, holding up both cymbals so four snares could rap on them, when you are only 44" tall is no fun.

[Piper]

I can remember more than a few Firemen's Convention parades. Those things used to be unbelievable. All the Fire Fighters were off duty for the parade (thank God), and they would take full advantage of it. Many of them were bombed by 0900 and would march (stagger) down the parade route waving and kissing babies like they were running for public office. They were the best because they would always sneak us beers at the end without knowing any better. :P

[lymabean]

I marched Magic 03... That fourth of july we did soooo many parades we didn't even have time to go to the bathroom. So right before step off, 10 or so guard people ran to a house and asked if we could use their bathroom. The nice folks said yes... and kept on with their business... A hispanic family. The thing was that they were saying in spanish how weird it was that some strangers asked to use their bathroom. Half the people in line were from Miami. We undestood every word

In 04, i marched with boston. The best parade had to be the Bristol parade. It was pouring and I was lucky enough to be on the "dance line". One of the girls gets this great idea to do one of our usual across the floors. She gets all excited and starts it off. She def. slipped on something and fell flat on the floor in the middle of the parade. One of the funniest moments ever. Between that, the rain, and everyone getting stuck under trees because the school buses were MIA... It was one of the best parades ever!

This past summer I thought i got lucky because the pit (who usually serves as water boys) had to stay behind. So a few of the guard girls were given the job. 2 seconds before step off it starts raining. The parade is delayed, but goes on. The guard ended up staying behind but the water girls stayed with the corp. Not only did we get poured on and stepped in every puddle possible. But I had a horrible outfit decision (white shirt). Nothing a towel coudlnt help thank goodness. After the parade was over, the corp got lost going back to the school. And we walked probably over 2 miles, when the RV could have taken us back in 5 minutes!!!! Extremely fun parade!