Guadalupe County Fair Parade Preparations 2012

In a small town, anyone who wants to take part in one of the parades simply needs to fill out the application and pay a small fee, when required. So, parades like the annual county fair parade are filled with a broad cross-section of the folks who live in the area. 

The participants start lining up on College Street to get ready for the 8:30 judging. I like to walk up and down the street, talking to the people as they wait for the parade to start at 10:00 a.m. With my camera in hand, I take pictures of whatever or whomever catches my eye. Right off the bat, I spotted a group of ladies dressed in pink and white, astride bejeweled horses. There were lots and lots of horse groups waiting. Many of the riders visited with each other, but a few of the horses were figety, so they were being walked up and down the street, here and there.

There were also several cars and pick up trucks decorated for the parade. Some of the trucks were just used to pull floats, but the cars were chariots for various dignitaries. This beautiful woman, with her sweet smile and silvery hair, looked so charming with her tiara and sparkly jewelry.

Now, as I approached this gentleman, I had a little dilemna. I could not tell if his wild hair was part of a novelty cap, or if it was his actual hair. I had to ask him if I could take his picture, but I did not know whether to reference his hair or his fancy hat. I chose to call it a hat, and all his friends burst out laughing, because it was not a hat, it was his hair. Well, he laughed to and posed for a photo.

This young man was getting ready to drive his dad's tractor in the parade for his very first time. His dad was going to walk next to him. Behind them, his older brother sat on a large green and yellow John Deere tractor.

These folks are part of the Guadalupe County Sheriff's Mounted Posse. They are carrying the flags of the six different nations which have flown over Texas in the last four hundred years. In case you are wondering, here is the list of flags which have flown over Texas:
Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, the Confederacy, and  the United States of America.

Here is an example of how folks decorate their cars....

And finally, here are some of the volunteers in one of the local fire departments.

Well, by the time I took this picture, it was almost time for the parade to start, so I got into my truck and headed for my favorite spot to watch the parade. More on the actual parade in the next post....