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There's No Raining On Fair Parade

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 19, 2008

DADE CITY - Nothing gets in the way of a good parade. Rain didn't slow Monday afternoon's procession of floats, marching bands and classic cars, which marked the start of the 61st-annual Pasco County Fair.

Sitting in folding chairs and standing, people lined Seventh Street to watch what organizers estimated was about 60 entries.

The overcast sky seemed to hold just as the parade was getting under way. About 25 minutes later, the intermittent showers began.

Spectators ducked under nearby awnings or trees, pulled out umbrellas, wore rain ponchos or simply held their ground.

Shannon Barr sat along the curb near Church Avenue with her 2-year-old daughter, Lillie, and her two stepdaughters, Ashlyn, 6, and Megan, 5.

Ashlyn said she knew the parade was coming after hearing the faint sirens of a Dade City police cruiser and Pasco County sheriff's motorcycle leading the way. Soon, she was picking up candy tossed out to the crowds and got a string of pink beads matching the color of her pants.

Barr and the girls stuck it out through much of the parade, seeking shelter under a large black umbrella and another dotted with smiley faces. "It was good until it started to rain," Barr said, holding Lillie. "She liked the bands. She was marching."

Jason Geary

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