Collapsing inflatable Elmo didn?t take any of the cheer out of K-Days parade

EDMONTON - Nearing the end of Friday?s K-Days Parade, the only thing showing signs of exhaustion was the Elmo float.

Some of those responsible for guiding the Sesame Street character along 102nd Avenue were underneath the float, holding up Elmo?s torso.

Eleven inflatable floats, including the one belonging to the city, were dragged on platforms.

Northlands spokeswoman Kathy Kiss said that was to avoid paying for helium and because they would be easier to manage under obstacles.

The crowd didn?t seem to mind that Elmo lost air; they stayed until the end, when cleaning trucks started rumbling down the street.

The fun kicked off at 10 a.m. with parade marshal Mayor Stephen Mandel leading the way through downtown in a white convertible. It wound down two hours later at the same time the grounds opened at Northlands.

While it was overcast, the rain held off, helping keep attendance in the tens of thousands.

Along some parts of the route, the crowd was five to 15 deep, said Northlands spokeswoman Jennifer Sheehan.

Some of those standing on the sidelines came from outside Edmonton to enjoy the spectacle.

?It?s something different. We don?t have this in Yellowknife,? said Lena Cleary, who brought her two grand-children. ?This is something to see and it brings people together.?

Compared to her first time at the K-Days Parade two years ago, Cleary said she found this one more interactive.

The interactivity of the pre-parade show was a big hit with Tobi Moore?s group of children from Equinox Child Care.

?The kids love it. They love seeing the clowns, anyone who comes over to talk to them or give them hugs or high fives,? she said.

First-time parade-goer Craig Petten of Fort McMurray said he came south to ?get a taste of Edmonton. I?m amazed with all the people. We?ve seen it on TV and I said, ?We have to check it out in person.??

This year, Northlands re-branded the festival, changing its name from Capital Ex to K-Days, a reference to its earlier moniker, Klondike Days.

While no one spotted in the crowd wore Klondike attire, many people said they were happy with the name change.

Kim Breitkreutz, who brought her 20-month-old daughter Lillian to the parade for the first time, said: ?I?m happy they changed it back. It sets it apart from other places. I like Klondike Days because it reminds us of how Edmonton got started.?

Vanlee Robblee said even when it was called Capital Ex, she referred to it as K-Days.

Moore was also pleased, saying, ?Thank goodness, finally, give us back our K-Days.?

Elmo?s friend, Kermit the Frog, drew one of the biggest cheers from the crowd, as did the sparkly sequined uniforms and nerve-racking flips of the Edmonton Eskimos cheerleaders. The Latin dancers, Chinese dragon, and military tank were other crowd pleasers.

The Latin dancers? big hooped skirts put a smile on the face of four-year-old Chloe Davies.

She said the ?princesses and that crazy dancing girl with the crazy dress? was her favourite part of the parade ? that is, until a bouncing van came along.

One of the most upbeat groups in the parade was the Hope Mission, a service that provides basic and emergency care to those in need.

For the first time, a fleet of young people got to march alongside the Hope Mission van.

Thirteen-year-old Tethouach Chuol and 11-year-old Tongo Agar were having a hoot dancing to rap music blaring from the van, some of which they wrote and performed.

?This is the first time I?ve been in a parade, we just have to blast it out,? Tethouach said.

Tongo added, ?It actually feels kind of good because you?re showing people who you are, your dance moves and your talent. They really appreciate us. They like what we?re doing and they?re waving back.?

oellwand@edmontonjournal.com

Source: http://feeds.canada.com/~r/canwest/F264/~3/ye0nUlvuBAA/story.html

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