A look back at the Grand Parade of Kaposia Days

December 21, 5:42 PMSouth St. Paul ExaminerRob Shirk

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Kaposia Days

It's really cold outside right now but do you remember when it was hot and sticky and you turned to your neighbor and exclaimed, "I love a parade!".

The Grand Parade is unsurpassed as it is the crown jewel of Kaposia Days, the week-end before Independence Day. The temperatures have risen along with the humidity.

You gotta love the whole sumertime, hot dog eating, the dunk tank where you can dunk the principal, the softball tourney, crown the queen, the whole bit. All throughout the burg the laughter and smiling faces of the people of the town we love.

There is the traditional "cutest kid portrait" award in the photography area (I must say that South St. Paul has some of the cutest kids anywhere), Mattie's Street Dance that is always rocking, all the politicos show up in one place or another at some time or another, although there was not a sight of Barack Obama or John McCain.

Neither Sarah Palin or Joe Biden made the scene either. Everyone else was probably here. I know Mayor Beth Baumann was there. She's everywhere when it comes to these things. Many people think the Mayor is the best cheerleader we have.

The police have the parade route cordoned off and the "No Parking All Day Friday" have been out, well, all day. The lawn chairs and blankets make their way to the parade route since early morning. The booya pots were boiling.

It's like being at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Herald Square, New York City, only warmer. There weren't any sky-scraper balloons, but there were way over a hundred slots filled for the Grand Parade, from the Police and Support our Troops floats to the Minnesota Timberwolves and the.St. Paul Winter Carnival Vulcans.

It really is a big parade. It's one of the biggest in the state when it comes to summer celebrations and Lord knows Minnesotans love town celebrations like no place else on earth.

The Kaopsia Day Grand Parade was a huge success as it is almost every year. The weather was perfect, the children were laughing, the neighbors were telling Ole and Lena jokes, there was a lot of mustard and ketchup on the front of shirts, fire engine sirens were blaring, and the mosquitoes had a field day. Kaposia Days is as much fun as a town can have.