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Cranberry Fields Forever is festival theme
Inspired by a Lennon-McCartney song about a different red fruit, this year's Cranberry Festival theme is œCranberry Fields Forever."
This year's parade entrants are encouraged to take their inspiration from The Beatles' song, œStrawberry Fields Forever," and decorate floats or wear costumes that reflect the importance of cranberry fields to Bandon.
Chamber Executive Director Julie Miller said, œWith the rising costs of gasoline and other prices, people are really ready for a small town fun festival."
A fly-over by local pilots will kick off the parade at 10 a.m. Saturday. The fly-over tradition began with the 1997 festival and is coordinated by the Bandon Aero Club. Imaginative floats, equestrian clubs, clanking fire trucks, cranberry harvesting equipment, sporty classic cars and hot rods, and the internationally acclaimed Humboldt State University Marching Lumberjacks Marching Band will be among the marchers celebrating Bandon's lengthy cranberry heritage.
This year's grand marshal, Vivian (Kranick) Brown, whose family are longtime cranberry growers, the Mystery Person, the Cranberry Queen and her court, and the King or Queen of the Kitchen (chosen during the Ladies Auxiliary Food Fair) also join the parade.
As on the Fourth of July, the Cranberry Festival parade will follow the new, standardized route. From Ninth Street Southwest, the parade will head onto Highway 101, travel north to Delaware Avenue Southeast. It will then go north on Delaware to First Street, then head west on First to Oregon Avenue.
The parade staging area will form on Ninth Street Southwest, where contestants check in and receive their order number. Any person or group that shows up on Saturday by parade time and wants to enter may do so. They will be eligible for judging only if they register in advance.
According to Miller, because this year is a political year, groups can advertise themselves. However, they cannot state any political messages nor give out any political handouts.
She said, œWe want to encourage these groups to be in the parade, but do not allow any agenda-driven messages."
Miller is looking forward to enjoying the activities, and said there is always a big turn-out for the parade.
œYou never know what people will come up with," she noted.
A traveling trophy is awarded to the float judged best in the parade.
First, second and third place winners will be chosen for each of the 12 parade divisions. Division winners receive purple rosette ribbons. Red, white and blue ribbons also are awarded in each division.
Judging takes place from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. Ribbons will be awarded prior to the start of the parade. Divisions include marching band, float, antique auto, classic auto, auto club, mounted horse group, individual rider and horse, and novelty.
Unlike the fields in the Beatles' song, Bandon's fields are quite real and truly something œto get hungabout." They distinguish the Bandon area.
