Its size may fluctuate. Weather conditions will vary. But there is no stopping the Lovelock Fourth of July Kiddie Parade, sponsored by the Pershing County Cattlewomen. Each year the organizers introduce a different theme. On Thursday, about 20 children celebrated a prehistoric holiday.
Parents settled their children in wagons or on bikes decorated with red, white and blue streamers. There was even a T-Rex. Ayden Montes, 11, looked carnivorous with a massive skull, tail and claws. He towered above the other marchers.
Led by Boy Scout Troop 99, the assembly marched down Main Street from the train depot to the courthouse park. Midway, June Talcott announced each participant’s name over a loudspeaker. The marchers tossed candy to onlookers gathered in shady spots along the sidewalk.
At the park, Cattlewomen Cassidy Burke, Lisa and Darlene Moura handed each child a fifty cent piece, donated by Nevada State Bank. The Cattlewomen also provided popsicles. American Legion Post #6 sprang for hot dogs, chips, cookies and bottled water.
Moms, dads, grandparents and kids ate their snacks under the elm trees. Later, everyone splashed in the pool. The Frontier Community Coalition sponsored a free swim day.
This year, the Kiddie Parade observed another milestone. Pershing County was born on March 18, 1919. After the parade, the Centennial Celebration Committee sank an array of business cards, pictures and family histories deep in the earth. Perhaps 100 years from now a new generation of Kiddie Marchers will open the Centennial Time Capsule in awe. But there will never be another T-Rex like Montes.
