Before the July 6th parade began it was sunny.
I found the Republicans east of City Hall.
Couldn’t find the Democrats, except for 9th Congressional District hopeful Dan Biss, who wouldn’t find his parade contingent in the direction he was heading.
I got a chance to meet one of the men wanting to challenge 11th District Congressman Bill Foster in 2026.
His name is Mike Pierce and I learned that his ancestors helped settle Belvidere, the eastern part of which Illinois Democrats gerrymandered into the district.
His web site is here.
Not thinking I had enough time to go looking for the Dems before the parade started, I headed back to my chair closer to the Methodist Church.
There I caught the float on which city officials were sitting.
Note, they had umbrellas.
Early on were senior bicyclists.
On one tricycle were McHenry County Treasurer Donna Kurtz and her mother former State Rep. Rosemary Kurtz.
My photographic skills were inadequate to catch the two. I only got a picture of Rosemary.
Girls on horses followed.
When Crystal Lake’s Service League came by, it seemed appropriate to take a picture.
After all, the civic organization, best known for offering tours of upscale local homes, is one hundred years old. I wonder if any other civic organization is that old.
The reason kids like parades, of course, is the candy.
The Crystal Lake Park District entered a float promoting its Summer Day Camp at the Main Beach.
The Crystal Lake Library had its usual book push carts.
Unlike the Algonquin Area Library, they didn’t hand out books to kids.
On my way to the GOP staging area I had seen Mexican women all dressed up.
By the time they got to my parade location it was raining hard, but one still displayed one of the dresses that are so colorful.
This was just the first storm that left me quite actually soaked to the skin.
How bad was the rain?
The gutter was filled with runoff and candy was left uncollected by the kids next to me.
Some came prepared for the rain.
Looking for the GOP before the parade, I found the entry from Local 117 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
I asked the young man in charge if he planned to be at the Lake in the Hills Labor Day Parade, explaining that I had never seen a union entry from a labor union. He said they had been in the Marengo parade and would consider my suggestion regarding Lake in the Hills’.
The steel band float is always one of my favorites. Organizers were smart enough to provide shelters.
Crystal Lake entered a float promoting its Three Oaks Recreational Area.
It reminded me of how the City Council refused to turn the park over to the Crystal Lake Park District and how the Mayor is now advocating that the Park District buy HealthBridge. That anomaly led me to suggest that if the Mayor wanted HealthBridge to be in public hands that the city could purchase and run it, as it runs and restricts access to city residents at Three Oaks.
The Strikers, on their way to Philadelphia for the 250th United States celebration parade, were dumming away.
Later the Kingpins displayed their talents.
Nunda Township Supervisor and County Board member Mike Shorten led the Republican Party contingent.
There was a banner for 11th District GOP hopeful Mike Pierce.
Pierce walked ahead of the Republican Party Float.
I got a shot of the far side of the Republican Party float. While posting this photo, I notice a man wearing a “Sheriff Hendricks for Governor” Tee Shirt.
A very wet contingent of Ghostbuster re-enactors probably had less fun than usual.
Mike Pierce has a banner on the back of the Republican entry.
At least they brought umbrellas.
The Jesse White Tumblers were practicing in parking lot before the parade started, but because of the rain making their landing mats slippery unfortunately did not perform for the crowd.
Democrats tomorrow.
