Grey skies
didn’t dampen spirits at 36th annual Pine Valley Days
By Lori
Bledsoe
The Alpine Sun
PINE VALLEY — The 36th Annual Pine Valley Days Parade took
place right on schedule despite the dreary weather. In fact, most
of the participants enjoyed the misty autumn-like weather and
drizzle that accompanied the celebration.
 Marv Lindner was announcing the revelers for the 15th
year in a row. Jeff Campbell who announces for the Mother Goose
Parade enjoyed his third year of announcing with Lindner, and
said, “This is the first time that he could remember the weather
being like this in July.”
Lindner joined in by commenting, “This is the first
time in at least the 15 years! But it’s kind of nice for the
participants who are walking the parade. It’s usually so hot you
can’t hardly stand it!”
Another group of participants that commented on the
weather was the Cameron Highlanders. The Highlanders walked the
parade with their bagpipes blaring and their drums pounding,
adding a definite panache to the promenade.
Chip Hatch, joined Bill Hoover and Robbie McKnight on
the sidelines, all dressed in their full Scottish regalia, and
commented on how nice the weather had been. Hatch said, “I can’t
remember it ever being like this. I bet it’s the first time in 35
years!”
Corinne Lewis, the parade’s prestigious planner, was
very pleased with how the proceedings went. She was especially
pleased with her friend, Rita Simonetti’s ability to accomplish
her dream of riding in a tank. Simonetti rode in a WWII vintage
tank, waving to the crowd, with a huge smile on her face,
accompanied by a M.A.S.H. supply vehicle, and a vintage Army Jeep.
The array of parade participants included, not only the
vintage Army vehicles and bagpipers, but the Mount Miguel Matadors
band, vintage automobiles, a toilet mobile, clowns in carts and on
foot, The Wells Fargo Stagecoach and so many others as well.
Dianne Jacob rode along, waving to the crowd and was followed by
this week’s heroes, the fire department, with engines and ladder
trucks, escorting Smokey the Bear.
Campbell was happy to announce that the Pine Valley
Days Parade is the biggest parade in East County after the Mother
Goose Parade.
After the parade rolled by visitors spent the day at
hundreds of vendor booths scattered in a parking lot alongside the
road, watched rodeo events in the rain, and ate food provided by
many different local restaurants.
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