Despite the dreary weather, there was much excitement in the streets of Bradford Friday evening as the annual Bradford Area High School homecoming parade took over downtown.
The festivities began at 5 p.m., when a “Dr. Seuss” themed parade started at Tops Friendly Markets, traveled down Main Street onto Mechanic Street, veered left onto Barbour Street and concluded at Stoney North Tire.
Many residents arrived early, for the sidewalks along the strip were packed, people standing shoulder to shoulder and children preparing their candy-collecting bags for the event with little patience and lots of joy.
“They’re coming! Right there!” shouted Jamie, an 11 year-old boy from Bradford, as the parade officially began.
The caravan was led by the Bradford City Police, some of whom brought their families with them. Fire trucks of the Bradford City Fire Department followed, leaving many children awed by the loud horns and sirens that drew an excited ripple from the crowd. Volunteer fire departments, the Bradford Area High School Marching Owls, Zippo Manufacturing Co., cheerleaders, Superintendent Katy Pude and more followed.
The first float to appear, after an introductory banner that read “Oh, the places you’ll go” to set the Dr. Seuss theme, was “Horton Hears a Who” by the freshman class of 2020; students rode atop the float with props like “beezle nut oil” and a giant paper elephant.
The McKean County Roadrunner cars stole the attention just then, with their tiny-but-loud vehicles that drove in conjoining figure-eights down Main Street. Children and adults alike cheered loudly, the crowd emanating with “Oohs” and “Aahs” and children with “Vroom Vrooms.”
Next came “A Cat in the Hat” themed float, representing the sophomore class of 2019, with music, hula hoops, boxes and kites adorning the top of their float. Students were decked out in red and white with lots of candy to toss to the onlookers.
“It’s like an early Halloween!” said 9-year-old Rebecca, who said her favorite part about the parade, besides getting to see her sister, was collecting candy.
Bradford High and Floyd C. Fretz Middle School cheerleaders danced in uniform, trailed by the Zippo Jeep and the Bradford Area School District administration.
Many were “humored” by the junior class of 2018, who rode in on a Whoville float titled “How the Juniors Stole Homecoming” — a clever play on Dr. Seuss’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
“Very clever,” many adults from the community agreed, with clapping hands and cheering voices.
The senior class of 2017 followed atop a “Lorax”-themed float covered with tall stalks topped with multi-colored puffs; “we speak for the trees” it read.
Studio B Dance Academy and several trucks representing Bradford midget football and midget cheerleaders closed the parade.
The weather was chilly on Friday, the gray sky, hard wind and threat of rain expected to deter the crowd slightly which, as it turned out, was hardly the case.
“I love coming out and seeing all of the students participate in the parade, which is always so creative, and the younger children have such a light in their eyes watching,” stated Bradford local Terry Jean. “It certainly sparks a sense of hometown pride for the larger community.”
Pride that, made evident by the overwhelming support of the crowd from beginning to end, even when it began to mist, echoed through the streets of Bradford on Friday.
