STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK
It was a two-goat run and an occasion for churro sundaes and deep-fried Oreos as the City of Bellevue hosted its 94th Labor Day Celebration.
Scott and Lisa Mary decided to let their goats join in the fun run since it ran right by their house.
But, when it came to the parade, the friskiest thing out there was the Coffee Corner’s wreck with antlers on top and an American flag on the side—apparently, Bellevue’s answer to Elbie’s bucking car in the Hailey Fourth of July parade.
The Bellevue Labor Day Parade is about the candy—and community
And, by the time it was all over, some kids walked away with five pounds of Sour Patch Kids candy Tootsie Rolls, Twizzlers and Skittles.
“We come for the candy,” said Lizbeth Ruiz, who was there with her daughter Vivian Rodriguez and mother Margarita Celis. “And it’s getting better and better every year—the amount they hand out.”
“Lollipops—they’re the best,” said little Vivian.
Ellie Powell, William Richardson, Diane Walker and Isaac Easterday took their turns on a ghoulish float advertising Bellevue’s Haunted Forest, which is just two months away.
And Izzy Ratliffe took her place on the 5 Bee Quilting Group’s float, which sported dozens of beautiful bed covers.
The group makes quilts for the Senior Connection, Higher Ground and Hospice of the Wood River Valley. And they hold a quilt campout every October at Camp Perkins, said Janet Houts.
The parade also featured the 2018-19 version of Colla Voce, which made their debut singing “Higher and Higher” as their float rolled down the streets.
What wasn’t in the parade were the antique steam tractors that once captivated the attention of spectators. They were retired from the parade after their owner passed on, said Carol Blackburn. And they’re now working as threshers on a farm near Shoshone.
“They have big thresher shows in North Dakota,” said Judy Foster. “They make a racket.”
Tom and Florence Blanchard took their place in a crowd of hundreds at Bellevue Memorial Park following the parade. Back in the day, Tom Blanchard noted, the city served up a free barbecue that included some “tough old corn on the cob.”
Now, he observed, more and more vendors are serving up various types of Mexican food, ranging from empanadas to churros. It’s only fitting, considering the percentage of the town’s population has climbed to about 30 percent.
And, the food they serve up is pretty darn good, if you ask Norm and Penny Leopold.
“We come for the homemade tamales,” said Penny Leopold. “They are the best.”