ON THE STREETS WHERE SPECIAL EVENTS HAPPEN

 


The streets are taken over in Copperopolis, CA by a showcase of old time’y cars. 

The annual Big Band Street Dance in Columbia State Historic Park, Columbia, CA.


A good old fashioned neighborhood block party held on the street with all sorts of good food and kids riding their toys in the street without being scolded by their parents. J

Street-side Farmers Market in Angels Camp, CA

A race of homemade outhouses in Virginia City, NV takes over the main street through town.

Cal band members dancing up the street to the football stadium in Berkeley.  One of my favorite things to do on game day, besides attending the game itself, was to follow the band up to the stadium as they danced, sang, and played some of their more humorous numbers along the way.  What a kick!


Bands also march in parades.  This is the Yosemite High School Band marching in the “Pioneer Days” parade in Oakhurst, CA . . .
 

. . . followed by a quartet of ‘small flag’ girls. (The ‘tall flag’ girls were in front of them).  Having trained the ‘small flag’ girls, I was a bit nervous about their first performance in a parade, but they did great.

All three of my kiddos, at one time and another, played in the Sonora High School band seen here marching up Washington Street in the annual “Mother Lode Round-Up” Parade.

Smokey Bear keeping his Little Flames in line in the “Pioneer Days” parade in Oakhurst in 1980.

Smokey with two of his Little Flames – my daughters.

A few years later those daughters – seen here in the center of the back row & left in the front row - with friends dressed up as pioneer lasses and Indian maidens . . .

. . . participating in Groveland, CA’s annual “Old West Days” parade in 1984.

Santa waves to the crowd during Sonora CA’s annual lighted Christmas Parade.

There are tons of entries every year complete with all manner of bands . . .

. . . and amazing floats.

And last, but not least, how about a cattle drive up highway 120 near Yosemite – herding the animals up the highway in the early morning hours to higher feeding grounds for the summer.

Moooooooo! 

:-> 

La Nightingail

Comments

  1. Barbara RogersAugust 31, 2023 at 1:08 PM

    Wow, those streets have seen everything! The herd of cattle was not expected at the end, but is of course, just the right way to finish off your post. I guess they get right of way for any approaching traffic.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. La NightingailAugust 31, 2023 at 4:38 PM

      Those cattle drives were not quiet! Just before dawn twice a year - late spring & early autumn (when they brought the herd back down) we'd hear the mooing & cow bells clanking & the cowboys whistling and shouting and those in trucks honking their horns. I always made extra coffee for those mornings because there was no way we could sleep through all that! :)

      Delete
  2. Monica T.September 3, 2023 at 2:24 AM

    That's a lot of interesting street photos!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. La NightingailSeptember 3, 2023 at 9:57 AM

      When I started gathering photos for this post I hadn't anticipated finding so many, but as I collected them I'd remember another one, and another one, and pretty soon I was surprised at how many I'd found, :)

      Delete
  3. Mike BrubakerSeptember 3, 2023 at 9:03 AM

    Small towns have the best parades and street fairs! I wish I lived in a place with a mellifluous name like "Copperopolis". I know its heritage but it sounds Greek to me. Whenever I'm away from North Carolina and tell people I'm from Asheville, inevitably I have to add, "Not Nashville."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. La NightingailSeptember 3, 2023 at 10:05 AM

      Small towns are great in so many ways but one of their greatest ways is the community spirit for things like parades and fairs and other public gatherings. They never lack in numbers for participation - either in the event itself, or the audience & crowds to witness those events because you know you're always going to see folks you know somewhere in the crowd. :)

      Delete
  4. Molly's CanopySeptember 3, 2023 at 9:28 AM

    The Big Band Street Dance looks like so much fun! But I have to say my favorite photo is the cattle on the highway. Great selection to match the prompt!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. La NightingailSeptember 3, 2023 at 10:13 AM

      The street dance is a kick - either dancing or just sitting & watching & listening. As for the cows - I don't know what made me think of them? They just popped into my head. We're living in an area now where we won't hear that anymore & I think I might miss it. Even though it caused us to get up just before the crack of dawn twice a year it was kind'a fun listening to all that racket and the cows mooing along. :)

      Delete
  5. KristinSeptember 4, 2023 at 3:33 PM

    But that outhouse race though! Wow!

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    Replies
    1. La NightingailSeptember 5, 2023 at 8:57 PM

      They have one just up the highway from Sonora in Twain Harte every year too. The entries are amazing & the whole shin dig is great fun.

      Delete

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