Christmas on 3rd Avenue

MOSES LAKE — Friday was a chilly evening for the Moses Lake Ag Appreciation Parade and Street Party, but the atmosphere was warm and bright.

It seemed like the entire population of Moses Lake turned out for the traditional festival of brightly-lit farm equipment, hot cocoa and candy canes. Chairs, blankets and even a fire pit or two lined the downtown sidewalks.

The action started late in the afternoon as parade participants started drifting into the parking lot at the Surf ’n Slide Water Park to begin decking out their creations. Some of the participants were old hands, others were just getting into the swing.

The Sons of Norway have had a float in the parade for nine years, according to member Robert Johnson. The float is made to resemble a Viking longboat, and was completely redone this year.

“We didn’t expect it to last as long as it did,” said Johnson. Johnson’s mother Lillian Lucke, former longtime president of the local Sons of Norway chapter, had her seat reserved in the place of honor at the front of the ‘ship.”

Part of the renovation was a brand-new wooden figurehead and tail, both carefully crafted by Jamie Casteel. The head is engraved with medieval Norse runes.

The float representing JP Ranch and Robel Farms isn’t so old. In fact, it gets reinvented every year.

“We keep trying to one-up ourselves,” said Pam Lewison, who with her husband Jim built a homemade barn for this year’s entry in less than 48 hours. This is their third year entering the parade.

The floats began moving out at 7 p.m., lighting up the dark winter streets with everything from the Grinch sitting atop a light-covered structure that would have made Clark Griswold jealous, to rodeo queens showing off their riding chops, to a rolling Nativity scene put up by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Riders on the floats flung faux snow and candy, the latter of which was eagerly snapped up by children on the sidelines.

The parade is sponsored by the Downtown Business Association and is meant to give the community a chance to show its appreciation for farmers. It also gives farmers a chance to show off for their community. That’s a welcome break for many.

“Especially in the winter, when there’s little else to do,” said Lewison.