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Lights - Cranberries - Action!
Festival theme will come to life in Saturday morning grand parade
The œdrama queen" in everyone can have a ball with this year's Cranberry Festival theme, œLights ... Cranberries ... Action!"
Chris Bentien of Coastal Vacation Rentals came up with the Hollywood-based theme.
Parade entrants are encouraged to take inspiration from their favorite actors, movies and television.
œAny Hollywood theme will do," said Chamber Executive Director Julie Miller. œAnd don't forget to tie in the cranberries!"
Miller said the theme offers a multitude of decorating ideas for the parade and other festival events.
œI think this is going to be a fun theme and easy for people to get their hands around," she said.
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 marshals ” longtime Bandon residents Kirk and Elizabeth Day, whose middle daughter Alexis was Cranberry Queen a few years ago; the 2009 Mystery Person; this year's Cranberry Queen and her court; and the 2009 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 standard 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. As in past years, Jeff Norris is in charge of the parade. 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.
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.
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," Miller said.
œWith the current recession, people are really ready for a small town fun festival that doesn't hurt their pocketbooks," she added.
