Saturday, November 2, 2024

Merrill’s Labor Day Parade

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TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR

The Merrill Aqua Jays Swim Team were making bubbles with their parade entry. Tina L. Scott photo.

Young families with children ready to collect candy lined the parade route for Merrill’s annual Labor Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 5, 2022, and they weren’t disappointed. Many floats this year tossed everything from Tootsie Rolls to gum and dum dum suckers and all kinds of tiny, individually wrapped treats. But kids weren’t the only ones who came out to enjoy a beautiful sunny day and a hometown parade. There were plenty of older but “young at heart” folks lining the streets, as well.
Along with politicians and political floats, some local businesses got into the act, and there were lots of kids and adults walking along as part of parade entries, as well. Sports were well represented, with the Merrill kids coming out to highlight Merrill hockey and soccer, the Aqua Jays, and the new Merrill Bandits adult Football Team was in the parade, as well.


Other floats and parade entries highlighted the local horse riders clubs, square dancing, racing teams, the Haunted Sawmill, Lions Club, and United Way, among others. Fire Departments from around the area showcased their bright and shiny red engines, and the Fire Pup was high above the onlookers in the bucket of the Merrill Fire Department’s engine along with Fire Chief Josh Klug.
Vintage and collectible automobiles drove in the parade, and most of them headed straight for the Merrill Festival Grounds to be a part of the Lions Club Car Show right after the parade.
And, of course, the Merrill High School Marching Jays band were marching to the beat of their own drummers in the Merrill Labor Day Parade and were a fan favorite for parade goers.
The Merrill Police Department closed down streets, kept things flowing smoothly, and orchestrated the safe execution of this year’s parade, as they have in years past. While they might not be an entry in the parade, it’s notable that the parade couldn’t take place without them, so thanks to the men and women in blue who participated in the parade in a way that made it possible for everyone else present to enjoy the event!

Merrill’s Square ‘Em Up dance club, unique in that it is made up almost entirely of youth, put on a traveling dance show on their parade float, with twirling skirts and crinolines. Tina L. Scott photo.

Riders with the Underdown Horse Club were the final entry in the Merrill Labor Day Parade, showcasing their beautiful horses and promoting the nearby Underdown Horse Trails available for riding. Tina L. Scott photo.

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