What If There's a Fire During the Parade?

Ever worry about fire breaking out in a small town, while the Fire Department was in a parade?

Probably not.

It's happened, though: during the 2007 Loonfoot Falls' River Revel Parade.

I was watching the parade from a spot between Birch and Alder Streets, on Center Avenue. Fire engines at the head of the parade were about two blocks away when one of Loonfoot Falls' finest loped to his car, talking earnestly into that box they keep on their shoulders. And took off, lights flashing and siren on.

I heard more sirens going by, northwards: probably running along Park Avenue.

Then I noticed smoke coming up, somewhere to the east. I headed for the fire. My motivation was more than idle curiosity, or a journalist's instinct. I'd left my car parked in that direction. Right where most of the Loonfoot Falls Fire Department and one of our police cars were double- and triple-parked.

My car was okay. The one two spaces closer to downtown had to be towed. The engine fire was out by the time I got there, and the firefighters were discussing how to get re-inserted in the parade.

They got back in, near the back of the procession. That interruption may have thrown the rest of the parade off: by the time they reached the fairgrounds, there was almost a block between some of the units.

It's good to know that the Fire Department can respond, even if they're tied up in a parade when they're needed.

River Revel Parade Next Week

You've probably seen the Rose Bowl and Macy's Thanksgiving Day parades on television. Maybe you've been there in person.

Loonfoot Falls' River Revel parade isn't quite like those. With about 100 units each year, it's not quite as big. We also don't have titanic balloons wafting over the crowd, or a rule that the floats have to be covered in flowers.

Back in the seventies, Dave Eskridge urged the Chamber of Commerce to have at least one float covered by duck feathers, as a reminder of the traditional Duck Races. Then someone calculated how many ducks would have to be plucked and Mr. Erskin's idea was dropped.

After experimenting with themes like "Weekend on the Lake" and "Camping Trip," the Chamber decided to get back to their roots, or maybe anchorage, in the Loonfoot River, with "River of Fun."

The public library is tying their summer reading program into that general idea, with a "Reading is Fun" float. I've heard that they're having people sit in inner tubes, reading.

Sonia Johnson, the event organizer, told me that it's a challenge, coming up with a fresh "River of Something" theme: but is counting on "River of Fun" being, well, fun.

There will be the usual marching, polka and rock bands in the parade, plus horses and tractors. I suppose it's a cliché, but the Loonfoot Falls' River Revel Parade really is "fun for the whole family." Plus, it's a good way for area businesses to remind folks that they're still around.

Loonfoot Falls Ready for River Revel

Loonfoot Falls' annual summer festival has been called a lot of things over the years, but the idea's always been the same: having fun, lionizing Loonfoot Falls, and getting together with others who love their town.

"A lot of families get together at River Revel," said event organizer and Chamber of Commerce head Sonia Johnson. "Folks come home for the celebration. for them, it's a family reunion and city-wide block party rolled into one."

Loonfoot Falls' River Revel started yesterday with the Miss Loonfoot Pageant, in which Jill Nygaard became this year's Loon Princess.

The big event tonight will be a karaoke contest at the fairgrounds.

The River Revel's Saturday night activities have followed pop culture through the years. "We used to have pie-eating contests," Johnson said. One year there was even a contest to see who could say 'River Revel' the most times without tripping. These days, it's karaoke."

One of the high points this weekend will be tomorrow's River Revel Parade down Main Street. This year's theme for the 100-unit parade is "Weekend on the Lake."

"We've usually tied the parade's theme in with the Loonfoot River," Johnson recalled. "This year, with the town growing out toward Loonfoot Lake, we decided to break new ground. It looks like we'll be seeing folks in beach gear and floats rigged out with beach lounges."

Tomorrow the River Revel wraps up with music by Høy Musikk and The Starlings, then a fireworks show will light up the fairgrounds at dusk.