This float was in the Sedro-Woolley Loggerodeo Parade. That takes place on the 4th of July, if my feeble memory is serving me correctly.
The theme of this float is "The Three Bear'ies".
This would seem to indicate to me that the float made its first appearance, weeks earlier, in the Burlington Berry Dairy Days Parade.
The caption under the picture indicates my brother and I were also on the float. I have no memory of this.
I also have no memory of how the float would have been transported from Burlington to Sedro-Woolley. I vaguely recollect a flatbed trailer.
Every year for many years mom and dad would make us kids a float for the Berry Dairy Days Parade. The float was kept in secret in the garage. We were always in float competition with the Olsen sisters who lived on the other side of the Burlington city park across from which our houses were located.
More than once we won the top prize in the float competition. I have no memory of what the prize was.
One year my brother and I were Fred and Wilma Flintstone, with my brother being Wilma. I think my baby sister, Jackie, currently living in Arizona, was Pebbles.
The biggest float mom and dad ever made, and likely the last one, featured only baby sister Jackie on board. The float was a HUGE strawberry, with Jackie all Shirley Temple curly cute on top of the strawberry. My dad was the "motor" inside the berry. I recollect there was some trouble getting the berry to roll over the railroad tracks that cross Burlington's main street, Fairhaven Avenue, in the middle of downtown Burlington.
I wonder if Jackie has any memory of being rolled through Burlington on top of a big red berry? I must remember to ask when next I talk to her.
I know photos exist of the other floats, like the Flintstone one. I know I have seen a color photo of my brother and me pulling a float. I have no idea where these photos are located.
Does Berry Dairy Days still happen? What with the strawberry industry in the Skagit Valley being a bit messed up. If this event does still take place it should be happening this coming weekend, or the one after that. Or maybe it was last weekend.
I have fond memories of Burlington's Berry Dairy Days. The parade assembled on the street in front of our house, Washington Avenue. The carnival took place one block to the west, across from where I went to school from first to fourth grade, Roosevelt Elementary, named after Teddy, not Franklin.
A highlight of Berry Dairy Days was what was billed as the World's Biggest Strawberry Shortcake. I don't know if this was true, or Texas type exaggerated brag. I remember the shortcake was free and drew a HUGE crowd.
I have not had a real strawberry this century. Those Driscoll atrocities from California don't count.
I think I will go float photo hunting....
UPDATE: I have found two floats photos, including one I think is the color version of The Three Bear'ies one....
