The downpours earlier in the day Thursday put no damper on the evening Pet Parade in Faribault. The theme for the 80th annual Pet Parade was Back to the '80s.

A woman from Mankato was sitting next to where I was standing and was at the parade with her sister. She said it was her seventh parade. Her sister told me her husband grew up in Faribault and that's how she ended up getting hooked on it.

So many species of animals were in this parade and there were a lot more adults in the parade then I remember from the late 1980s when I was a judge for a few years.

One year when it was very hot, I wore a rabbit costume and rode a tricycle on the route. I remember the heat and all the kids got ice pops after the parade, but I don't remember many adults without children being in it.

With the Back to the '80s theme, the No. 1 1980s item used was Pac-Man. There was also a float decked in purple balloons withe the Prince song "1999" playing.

The original Pet Parade took place on August 12, 1931, and was started as a way to cheer people up during an economic downturn. Eighty years later, it's still cheering people up.

 

 

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