Answer: Grand and High Flying

Warning: This post contains both heart-warming delight and yet another reference to Sussex County.

I'll be honest. When I attended the annual Memorial Day Parade in Branchville, NJ, before I left for Iowa, I thought I was done for the year with parades. Not by choice, but I couldn't envision another parade situation. I once again wasn't invited to be in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (22 years running) and the last good Arbor Day Parade probably occurred when I was knee-high to a grasshopper.

Well, I was certainly wrong. And thanks to my extensive experience both watching and participating in the Branchville parade, I was ready for the Flagfest parade in Spencer, IA. At this year's parade, Spencer, Iowa was officially named the Flag Capital of Iowa. I celebrated with a BBQ sandwich and a root beer float. You may be surprised to hear that I did in fact pay for the food. This was because in Branchville, I learned . . .

1) The possibility exists of being invited to eat, for free, from the platter at local familes' houses.
2) That possibility only exists if you know that family. Being new to Spencer, I took the more traditional route and exchanged cash for goods. Might some nice family have shared a burger? Probably. Was it worth the risk to march right up and take one from their 3-year-old daughter? Probably not.

Some photos are below. I commend Spencer on their wide variety of parade participants. They had the traditional firetrucks, but they also had animals, old cars, local businesses, and a giant beverage.