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It was the very last
Saturday of September. The early morning air was brisk.
Members and friends of
Somewhere in Time, Unlimited (SITU)
headed out of the Puget Sound cities to cross the Cascade
Mountains to the small town of
Leavenworth, Washington, to be an
entrant in the Grande Parade. Leavenworth is a delightful and charming place to visit. The buildings are decked in a Bavarian sort of theme and the people of Leavenworth are some of the nicest, most wholesome folks you'll ever meet! |
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| This view is of the Tumwater Canyon and river leading into town. | |||
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Pictured here to the
right, you will notice a brass railroad bell. There is a
legend pertaining to this famous bell. It had been used on
the train that used to run thru the valley. If someone in
the community would need help, they'd leave a light on at night
and the rail engineer would "ding" the bell to acknowledge he
saw the light, and would send help. One night, for no apparent reason, the bell mysteriously began to "ding" on its own, even before the engineer noticed the family needing help! The owners of the Alps acquired this bell many years later and hung it out front of their candy store. They invited visitors to make a wish and tug the rope attached to the bell. |
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In March 2009, The Alps
Candy Store along Hwy 2 just outside Leavenworth, burned to the ground. The son/s of the
original owners (deceased for some time), intends to rebuild and even is looking for
donations to speed along the efforts. This is a photo of what remains of the foundation of the structure. Just beyond, you can see the river. In days of old, the river would flood the yard of The Alps each winter, leaving it lush and green for summer. |
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We pulled into town
and stopped at
Prudential Mike West's real estate office to
change. His talented son Cameron, who is also a real
estate agent, loaned SITU the use of his red truck as "float" in
the parade. Those participating in the parade, all headed up to the check-in staging location. We'd have a couple of hours to burn and plenty of people watching to enjoy. Prior to driving to Leavenworth, our members were encouraged to choose dress in whatever era's attire that best suited them. We had a wide representation of costumes! Pictured here to the right, is the effervescent Miss Candace. Although relatively new to our group and the parade, she is a talented costumer and really puts her heart & soul into her "look". Doesn't she look fabulous? |
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Temperatures had
gone from being very chilly, to stifling hot. At least,
"hot" if you are wearing multiple layers of historical costume
plus a hat! Here, part of our group is perched along the wall of a Leavenworth homeowner. "Thank you" for sharing your property with us! We are most grateful! |
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Being a
Bavarian-themed town, it seems to draw other Germanic groups
from far and wide. in this case, the
Enzian Dancers from
Seattle.
I think I see the men in the background warming up now... |
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In line near where
we were parked, Lady Victoria spotted this adorable "Choo-choo
Train", complete with blue Bavarian flags, autumn leaves and
signage from the village. Wait, I might have a close-up... |
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So cute, don't you think? |
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Parked right behind the train, seemed to be a fleet of classic convertible cars. Wow! These beauties actually "live" on the eastern side of the mountains and hadn't driven in from Seattle. Nice! | ||
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Hiding behind the
cars was a red, speeding bullet of a little vehicle, large
enough just for one person to drive and one passenger. In the photo, you'll see the two men making last minute adjustments and doing a little "spit and polish" to really make the finish shine. |
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Coming down the road
to a bright "clip-clop" was the Leavenworth mascot beer wagon,
pulled by strong horses. Say, are these draft horses? Gosh, now I'm getting thirsty. I wonder if they give samples of dark beer. I should ask... |
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| Wouldn't it be fun to ride up on the wagon? |
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There she goes! This might be a Bavarian themed town, but the people are still All-American, right down to flying the US flag. | ||
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A marching band was
taking a few minutes to rest in the shade. It's a good
thing because they're going to get plenty hot walking the route
while playing their instruments. Their uniforms are really bright & snazzy! |
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What have we here?
Lady Victoria spotted these adorable kids riding in the back of
one of the convertibles. Maybe you can identify who they are? At least one has a professional future before a camera. Just look at these mugs! |
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 Look at the mountain scenery! Leavenworth sits in a kettle of beautiful mountains. Winter is also incredible here. |
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Check out these "Rollin' Mamas" - Each lady has a stylish hat
perched on her head |
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The Rolling Mamas
were initially transported to the location by their fancy bus.
It too, was entered into the parade. Below, this is the sign immediately adjacent to where the bus was parked. |
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I know, someone out
there loves purple. The reflection from this bright float
was nothing compared to the energetic young women who were the
decoration on the float when it rolled down the street. Way to go!!!! |
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Three very lovely young Leavenworth ladies, wearing traditional Bavarian dirndl dresses. The guy - he's not Bavarian... | ||
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Lady V heard that
this fine fellow is quite the photographer. He looks
marvelous in his Bavarian Trachten Hat and Gamsbart pin off the
back. The Gamsbart is generally made from the lower neck hair of a European mountain goat. Say, does he remind you of someone, or is it just me? |
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"Say Bill, I've
got a joke for ya. This guy walks into a bar...." Thank you to these and all our troops who are stationed around the world. We are grateful for your sacrifices and are glad you are on the job keeping us safe! |
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In this photo, we
have a hay wagon pulled by small horses who are "wrangled" by a
pretty blond. You'll notice a cute young-one riding in the
wagon, wearing short Lederhosen. Lederhosen are traditional leather pants worn by young children and adult men. The alternative choice for a mature man would be Bundhosen, which are leather pants that come down just below the knee, similar to a pirate's. |
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Trailing behind the
hay wagon, was the cutest little pony. Apparently the pony
was very tired and wanted to take a nap right about the time the
parade began moving. He was rather grumpy. Guess I'd
be too if I was tired and pulling 2 young girls in a wagon. Hope he caught up with that nap later in the day... |
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Aaaaaah, here come
the beautiful past Royal Ladies who have presided over last
Autumn Leaf Festivals. Blond, red or brunette, these ladies left a lasting impression on everyone. |
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"Aye, mateys! Take
our picture quickly!" SITU members Stefan and Autumn bumped into a pirate in the staging area. The pirate seemed intent on capturing the sweet and fair Autumn away from Stefan, but it was not to be, for Stefan stepped in-between to act as buffer in this photo. Stefan and Autumn came dressed in a contemporary/updated version and their interpretation of 18th century dress. Your clue might be the "Frankenstein" tall shoes. Autumn is a very talented young clothing designer, creating most of her own and Stefan's wardrobe. Stefan is also an artist who illustrates children's books. |
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| This is Cameron West's truck all gussied up with temporary decorations. Our driver this day was the charming Mark Perez of Stewart Title fame (Seattle). Unfortunately, Lady Victoria as well as our other photogs missed snapping his handsome mug. Maybe next year. | |||
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Now we're talking! Here come the convertibles with their passengers riding on the folded back rag-top. | ||
| Here comes the rocket plane with a star passenger. This Autumn Leaf Royal Lady looks wonderful in her dirndl. Rocket plane's not bad too. |
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Giddy-up!!!! We're rollin' now... | ||
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"Whoa, there!"
Who KNEW that a GOAT would be so strong? These two gals
are using all their weight to hold him back. What a
picture! Also in the corner (far right) you can catch a glimpse of an Alpenhorn. These are very long horns played in the alps by using ambouchure to play the tones, instead of being able to land on an exact note. Fascinating! |
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Here come the Enzian Dancers. Their accordionist and whip-cracker lead the way with yet another lovely lady! | ||
| The Enzian Dancers wandered their way along the route, carrying a May Pole onto which blue and white streamers were tied. |
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These are folks from Leavenworth. Not sure of their group's name, but they sure are cheery. They were waving to everyone with great enthusiasm! | ||
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Pictured here, our
group bides time until we too, are ready to roll. Pictured left to right: Lady Victoria (with camera), Autumn & Stefan, Miss Pippin (in red), Miss Joan (with umbrella), and Miss Roxann (in sunglasses). |
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Here come some
stylish men. Some of them are even wearing capes.
Saaaaaaay, I think they could fit right in with us in SITU..... |
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Check out those sunglasses! These ladies came all the way from Canada to participate in the parade. The music coming from the float was fun and toe-tapping. | ||
| This parade has a good number of vintage cars rolling along. The sign says "President"... |
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Unicycles - one too few wheels for Lady Victoria to get about town - these talented young cyclists had our admiration as they passed us on the street. | ||
| This float might be worrisome to some folks. There sure seems to be a lot of "rockets" and "sparklers" on board. Good thing it is being escorted by a whole troop of men in straw hats and spiffy outfits. |
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"Aaaaaaarrrr!!!!"
This pirate comes in full-kit: saber, tri-corn hat, pistol
and patch.
Lady Victoria was quite taken with the lace he sported at collar and cuff. Despite his fierce appearance, he turned out to be a delightful gentleman who was kind to our SITU ladies. |
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"Where did my mate
go?" Seems to be the question on Red Beard's face. His troop was just coming down the street as he was returning from, er, the "facilities" which had graciously been provided for parade participants. Good timing. Red Beard has been spotted at a number of gatherings around Puget Sound. He might look frightening, but he's really a jovial sort who likes to pose with the ladies... |
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Is it time to step into line yet? "Yoooo-hooo, Maaaaark! Fire up the truck's engine!" |
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Reigning as our
"Queen" atop the truck bed, we find one of SITU's original
founders, Miss Pippin. She with some friends, formed SITU
30 years ago. Thanks for the concept. We're having a
great time. Miss Pippin is also a talented and veteran costumer. Today, she is pictured wearing a Victorian capelet and darling hat, complete with a red bird! |
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The route began at
the high school, traveled along Hwy 2 for several blocks, turned
a corner and began heading back thru town. Here, we have just passed the warehouses and see the turreted corner of the Mottler Building as we follow a drill team down the street. The "heart" of town is only 1/2 block away. |
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At the end of the
parade, Lady Victoria asked some of our participants to pose for
a few images while still in costume. Here, Miss Candace strikes a fetching pose with sunglasses, parasol, boa and cigarette holder. |
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Miss Roxann looks
relaxed in her 1950's inspired outfit. Don't you just love
her soap and water saddle shoes? Roxann is a long-time historical costumer who has a real knack for finding some incredible vintage items when out "thrifting". We should organize a thrifting afternoon soon. |
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"Honey, can you help me here with this buckle?" | ||
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When we finished the parade, most changed out of our costumes and headed into town for some serious shopping and to grab a bite from street vendors. |
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Oh, what did you find? Was it a good deal? Will it be a Christmas gift? Do show us... | ||
| Autumn and Stefan are just "chillin' in the shade" after the heat of the parade. Stefan looks like he's found a juicy bit in his book. |
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Sir Harry of Essex
(now Seattle) rests in the shade as well, the effects of a
bratwurst and cold cola having just "hit the spot". Thanks to friend John K. (husband of one of our members) for the gift of the Edelbrook hat. Fitting spelling for this Bavarian town! |
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Here is the font of
autumness herself, the ever delightful Miss Joan. Joan came to us a few years ago from Denver where she played an important role in a local group called the "Shady Ladies". These gals provided a tremendous amount of education and wonderful costuming. The colorful blue outfit and decorated hat are the results of Miss Joan's talents. She is quite a gifted costumer and good friend in our group! |
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Here are a few street scenes from Leavenworth. |
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Located just west of
the Band Stand, one can find the city's May Pole. The
scenery painted on the different levels is quite attractive. We understand that this pole is used during Mai Fest each year. |
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The buildings
located immediately across the street from the May Pole.
These are the buildings which make up Front Street. On the opposite side of the street is the park, Mai Pole and Band Stand. Just look at all the lush flower baskets hanging from the light poles! |
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Photo of the Band
Stand where the Enzian Dancers are in the process of a
demonstration.
Notice all the chairs and people sitting on the street? |
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Thank you so much
for viewing our webpage dedicated to the
Autumn Leaf Festival's
Grande Parade.
Special thanks to
Cameron West for the use of his truck and
Mark Perez for driving
it safely. |
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Lady Victoria and Sir Harry
of Essex (Now residing in Seattle.) |
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Click here to return to our
Homepage |
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Updated May 20, 2010 |
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Somewhere in
Time, Unlimited |
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Sept. 26 2009 |