The annual parade is usually a short one anyway...I've never seen one more than 15 minutes long, but Sulphur old-timers says it was once quite a production back in the day.

Not this day.

At 11 am. sharp, the parade began.  The last entry passed by me at 11:03.

 

But the rain broke for about a 20-minute window, and the youngsters didn't seem to mind it at all.  

These cuties are some of my church nursery friends....Grayson (and his mommy Kelsey) and Eve.  They were sitting next to me awaiting the inevitable parade candy avalanche!

 

Another of our little former nursery friends, Joe, was across the street and had his candy bag ready too!

For my big city friends...lots of candy is a staple of small-town parades!

 

And yes, they DO shut down a US highway for the parade!  I've seen people get plenty mad about it over the years, but honestly it takes more time to turn around and go an alternate route than to just wait out the brief Sulphur parade.  What's everyone is such an all-fired hurry for, anyway?!

 

Sirens herald the beginning of the parade...

 

2018 Grand Marshalls Bill and June are also church friends.

 

As is my little friend Grace, Princess Candidate Extraordinaire!

 

CANDY!!!

 

Without the emergency vehicles, there wouldn't be a parade at all...

 

The Queen of Community Days, my dear friend Brenda, with her Ladies-in-Waiting Amy and Jeanne.  These girls spend a LOT of hours behind the scenes keeping things running smoothly.

 

Raking in the goods!

 

Our church passed out bottles of water to parade spectators.

 

Our youth pastor Bryan, helping out...

 

A few political entries...

 

And of course, a tractor!  We ARE in central Indiana, folks!

 

That's my friend Brian and two of his adorable grandsons driving that machine.

 

Three minutes long.

 

But the children were sugared-up for the day...

 

...after the shortest parade in Sulphur Springs history.