Parade brings out loyal crowd

After moving to Batavia only a couple of years ago, Maggie Martinez already loves the Loyalty Day Parade.

With a pair of dachshunds straining at their leashes, Martinez and her son Joshua stood along East Wilson Street waiting for the parade to pass by, and to catch a glimpse of her daughter Amanda Hampe playing the flute in the Batavia High School marching band.

"It's got the small town feel to it," Martinez said of the parade. "It's the same reason why I moved here."

Thousands lined the sidewalks of East Wilson and South River streets for Sunday's Loyalty Day Parade, with its themes of patriotism, military service and community involvement.

The flag-waiving extravaganza featured marching bands, military units, local police and firefighters, church and scouting groups and plenty of glad-handing politicians, all under a sunny sky.

Loyalty Day is a little-known holiday established by an act of Congress in 1958 as a Cold War reaction to May Day parades in communist nations. It is officially celebrated May 1.

Batavia's Loyalty Day Parade, sponsored by the Batavia Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1197, has been held on the first Sunday in May every year since 1975.

For the second year in a row, the parade's route was altered because of the Wilson Street bridge replacement project, kicking off again from the corner of East Wilson Street and Raddant Road and proceeding west to River Street, and then south to the VFW grounds for a party.

Many east-side residents said they enjoy having the parade on their side of the city for a change.

"It kind of brings the neighborhood together," said Diane Land, watching the parade from a friend's front lawn. "We east-siders want the parade route to alternate each year."

Marian Boyd, watching from the corner of Wilson and Prairie streets, agreed.

"I like it this way," Boyd said. "It makes it easy for a lot of people."

Out in front of the Music Matters music school on Wilson Street, owner Jeff Matter was grilling hot dogs and giving them away for a parade party.

"We've got a prime viewing spot, and we want some energetic parade-watchers when those bands go by," Matter said.

Next door, Ralph Beck was watching the parade from in front of his law office. A former Batavia city attorney, Beck used to emcee the parade from the downtown reviewing-stand for many years during the 1980s.

"I think it's the local nature of this parade with the local people and groups that distinguishes us," Beck said.

Parade-watchers applauded as veterans groups marched past, while children scampered along the street curb to gather up candy thrown from parade floats and vehicles.

One of the most popular entries in Sunday's parade was the Hix Brothers Music marching guitar band, each musician armed with an electric guitar and portable amplifier. They played a medley of tunes including the Monty Python theme song and Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water."

Another entry that garnered cheers from the crowd was Batavia artist Joseph Gagnepain's pirate ship float, with the artist banging on a bongo from the crow's nest.