One year after the city’s centennial edition of the annual Oldsmar Days parade was rained out, the 2017 parade went off without a hitch.
Under clear blue skies on a warm but not too warm Saturday morning, dozens of colorful floats and vehicles filled with hundreds of men, women and children made the procession around the downtown, waving and throwing beads and candy at the many spectators lining the parade route.
This year’s parade, held in conjunction with the 56th annual Oldsmar Days and Nights festival, was a far cry from last year’s centennial edition, which Mayor Doug Bevis had to cancel due to inclement weather.
“I’ll do my best to not cancel the parade at the last minute like I did last year!” Bevis said during the March 21 council meeting.
Thanks to a small storm front that quickly rolled in and out of the area on Friday, the mayor was able to keep his word.
“I really enjoy the parade every year because we drive right through the neighborhoods with families standing in their yards,” Bevis told Oldsmar Connect by phone a few days later.
“It’s also nice to see many of our other elected officials join us in our parade.”
Indeed, in addition to Mayor Bevis, Vice-Mayor Dan Saracki and Council member Jerry Beverland, other Oldsmar officials in the procession included City Clerk Ann Nixon, City Attorney Tom Trask and City manager Bruce Haddock.
Other local lawmakers included Senator Jack Latavala, Pinellas County Commissioners Dave Eggers, Pat Gerard and Charlie Justice, US Congressman Gus Bilirakis and Safety Harbor City Commissioner Cliff Merz.
Joining the pols were representatives of local organizations such as Oldsmar Cares, the Woman’s Club of Oldsmar and the Oldsmar Historical Society, and businesses including Hennessy’s Food & Spirits and Oldsmar Air Conditioning, who launched colorful confetti into the sky, creating the ideal parade backdrop.
There were also assorted dancers and cartoon characters, superheroes and plenty of classic cars on display, with vintage Oldsmobiles playing a prominent role in the parade.
At the conclusion of the 45-minute event, broken strands of beads and strips of paper confetti were scattered in front of City Hall before quickly being swept up by cleanup crews.
Enjoy this Oldsmar Connect photo gallery from the 2017 Oldsmar Days parade:
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