Howe Military Academy Band & Honor Guard (yup, they played music--they didn't just "rat-a-tat" past me!)
Valparaiso High School Band... not only did I get music played by them, but they stopped in front of me and the cheerleaders did a little jump routine.
Valpo Police with McGruff the Crimefighting Dog, Indiana State Police, Sheriff's Department (on horseback) and EMS Bicycle Squad
Valpo Fire Department -- the only group that had people at my eye level, because they were riding on the top of the fire truck!
Michael Essany, the Celebrity Grand Marshall. Michael has a television show on the E! Entertainment Channel. He broadcasts the show from right here at Valpo.
Talent Show Winners and Honored Senior Citizens
Cutest Baby Winner (actually, the baby was not that cute, funnily enough)
Tractor Pull Winners: these were all children, and they were riding in what looked like burn barrels that had been cut out to make little "cars"; they were pulled behind a tractor
Valpo's Mayor, David Butterfield (who, by the way, is a Valpo School of Law alum)
Conagra Foods: they had a float, made out of popcorn (popped and unpopped), that featured storybook characters and books
Valpo YMCA... they drove by in a van, and they had painted on their windows the words "We Love Are Kids". Yes, they used the word "are" instead of "our." That's just SAD.
MY FAVORITE GROUP I don't know what High School Band this was, but they were one of those groups that doesn't just march and play, they actually GROOVE while they're marching. (No, folks, this wasn't a "white" school! LOL) They were awesome. The Drum Major was just boogyin' to the beat, and the band would play, and then they stopped and did this little groove routine while they kept playing. It was sooooo cool. Dad, you would've LOVED this.
The Orak Shriners Temple: they had quite a lot of "stuff" in this section. They had a car that had two front ends, and two drivers, one facing each direction. The car could move either way, or sideways! I want a car like that. They also had a couple fire trucks, and a Motor Patrol of motorcycles that rode around doing really tight figure-8's around each other. They looked like they were going to hit each other each time they did a figure 8. They also had a fleet of mini-classic cars, about the size of go carts but made to look like classic cars. Cool.
Indiana Air Force ROTC
Kiwanis Ballon Fest: they had the fire-parts of a hot air balloon (without the actual balloon) and they were just shooting the fire up into the sky. It threw off so much heat, it made my face warm as they passed my window!
UGH... a troop of "cheerleaders". Except they were about 5, 6 and 7 years old. Because you're never too young to learn to base your self-esteem on how you look in a mini-skirt.
Horizon Gymnastics: They did a popcorn float too, with characters that sort of looked like scarecrows doing cheerleading moves.
Gremmer Middle School Band: What a HUGE band! And I know that Norwell won the State competition last year, but Norwell has never performed this well in any parade I've seen them in (that is, when Norwell actually "stoops" to performing in local parades). This Middle School would give Norwell a run for their money in parade performance. I was impressed. (They're not as good as the GROOVIN' BAND, but that goes without saying.)
State Senator Nancy Dembowski
Voice To Prevent Smoking
Northern Indiana Cruisers "R-Riders": very flashy classic cars. They've given classic cars some very trendy, flashy paint jobs.
Menzie Reece Pierceton American Legion: They had taken what looked like a locomotive engine, and somehow put truck tires on it, so that they could drive it down the street. Where can I buy one?!
Precious Metalwork: Their float's theme was "Poppin' Up Comedy" and it had a base of popped popcorn with several live clowns sitting on it.
"A Touch Of Class" Baton Twirling Group: tiny girls in tight clothes and makeup. Nothin' classy there.
Papa John's Pizza: My neighbor! haha... They had a Hummer with two mascots waving from the back: a big slice of pizza and a chicken. Go figure.
Hammond Tech High School Appreciation Society: Lots of Orange & Black clothes on a float lined with large stuffed animal tigers.
Jazzercise: Several women and one very brave man doing jazzercise down the parade route.
Tiffany Miller, State Fair Queen
Boone Grove High School Band: I think Alex would have felt at home at this high school... there were two mohawks in the band, and a couple of guys had the chin-hair like Alex had for a while. They were very "alternative" looking.
Ralph Ayers, State Representative
Nextel Phone Mart: They made a giant cellular phone out of popcorn!
Volkswagen Bug Convertible, which was decorated with Purple and Red swirls and stars, and which was carrying Curious George! I darn near stole that vehicle. And the Bug said "Smart Fun" on the side. I don't have a clue what that is.
National Guard: Walked by in full camo gear, with backpacks and guns.
Costas For Mayor: had a float with a GIANT elephant in it, but it didn't appear that the elephant was made of popcorn. Maybe it was unpopped popcorn, but it didn't look like it.
Valpo Hockey Team
Centier Bank: Wizard Of Oz characters were being carried in a horse-drawn carriage. The horse was spray-painted BLUE. I didn't know you were allowed to paint horses. Were there blue horses in the Wizard of Oz??
Lisa's Gymnastics: more teeny girls in teenier leotards
First National Bank: Their float was a big, blue ship. From up where I sat you could see the inside was just uncovered wood, but the outside was all blue-painted popped popcorn.
Hebron High School Band: pretty much a standard high school band. But at least they didn't rat-a-tat-tat past me!
Porter County Commissioner Dave Burris
Valpo Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, Troop/Pack 963
Martial Arts Group: kids through adults
Democratic Club of Valparaiso
A tractor pulling more kids in burn barrels... maybe the tractor pull winners again? I'm not sure.
Daybreak Community Church: their float was a live band and had a stiltwalker walking alongside them.
Jackson 4-H Volunteers: they made a big tiered cake out of popcorn
Kouts High School Band: this group will be traveling to Orlando to play at Disney World.
Northwest Indiana Pipes and Drums: Bagpipers and drummers, all dressed in full scottish attire, including kilts. I didn't know bagpipes could play in harmony!
WiseWay: They had a three-tiered float. The first was a racing car, the next was a spaceship, and the third was a beach scene, each made of popcorn.
Valpo Vettes: classic and modern corvettes
South Bend Fire District fire truck
NIPSCO
Family Express (gas station/convenience store): They had a classic chevy painted up for the 25th Popcorn Festival theme, and a huge blue delivery truck with cows painted on it whose horn "Mooo-ed!"
Wheeler High School Band: they have Papa John's colors. They also have the worst cheerleader uniforms I've ever seen: teeny tight black miniskirts (supposed to look like leather skirts, maybe) with belly-baring halter tops and big clunky black shoes. Horrible.
The Dance Center: had about five stick-thin girls dancing alongside five blimpy girls. Very odd.
The Cronies: A bar, maybe? Their float was cool: had motorized stick figures playing musical instruments--all made of popcorn!
Garcia's ATA Black Belt Academy: There were many young children with black belts. That means there are many young children who could give me an ass-whoopin'. LOL
Mirror Image Dance Academy: Um, there was no dancing. Some confused half-skip half-run sort of stuff, but no dancing.
Valpo's Family Time brand Popcorn
Boulder Bay Realty Group: their float had a small house (about the size of a shed) covered in popped popcorn
First Christian Church
Heritage Hill Antiques: they made a giant box of movie popcorn, made of popcorn!
Late Model Auto Recyclers: they took a car and covered it in popped popcorn
Valpo Americans: I'm not sure what sort of group this was. It was a LOT of elementary-aged kids.
Natural Oven Bakery, Inc.: Their float was a stone oven, that spun around, all made of popcorn. They also had a stiltwalker dressed as a chef, a slice of bread mascot walking alongside the float, and a horse-drawn carriage.
"ToDo": Who knew that my great-aunt had an excavation company named after her?
