Celebrating agriculture

MOSES LAKE — It was chillier than a penguin’s toes Friday evening, but that didn’t deter the crowds at the annual Ag Appreciation Parade in Moses Lake.

“I have never been so cold,” said Denise Kinder, president of the Downtown Moses Lake Association, as she organized parade floats in the Surf ‘n Slide Water Park parking lot.

The temperature was somewhere in the teens and there was still snow on the ground from earlier in the week. Kinder wasn’t sure off the top of her head how many entrants there were, but she estimated 50 or 60, about in line with last year.

A short distance away, Nestor Heredia was readying the Simplot float. This is his third year participating in the parade, he said.

“I like it,” he said. “My people like it. We come out every year.”

While the parade was getting prepared, there was a party going on a few blocks away around Sinkiuse Square. Christmas music was playing from a pavilion in the square, and people were setting up their chairs along the parade route.

Attendees didn’t go hungry either. Simplot has brought a truck down to the celebration and employees were handing out paper trays of fresh hot french fries to the crowd. They had brought 20 36-pound boxes, employees said, and by 7:30 they had distributed about seven of those boxes. Across the street in front of Miller’s Fine Jewelers, a Christian motorcycle club was cooking and giving away hot dogs.

At Settler’s Country Market, the food wasn’t free, but it was for a good cause. Care Moses Lake was offering hot homemade soup for $5 a bowl. Proceeds went to make sack meals for the homeless folks staying at the Open Doors Sleep Center.

The parade itself swung into gear at 8 p.m. First in line was the Moses Lake Police, pursuing a Grinch who had gotten loose and was threatening to ruin everybody’s Christmas. The green evildoer was quickly captured, and officers assured the kids in the crowd that Christmas was once again safe.

Behind MLPD came one brightly lit vehicle after another, often farm equipment decked out in glittering finery. Some blared holiday music as they came; “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas” competed with “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” which in turn played over “Silver Bells” in a Christmas cacophony. Riders on many of the floats tossed candy to the crowd, and one float filled the air with artificial snow. Many of the parade entries were farm equipment decked out with festive lights.

The parade’s grand marshal was “Potato King” Frank Martinez, who had been inducted into the Moses Lake Ag Hall of Fame in October.

Some of the floats in the parade were regulars. The Sons of Norway brought their Viking longboat float, which has been a staple in Moses Lake parades for eight or nine years, said Robert Johnson, one of the float’s handlers. The float was a favorite of Johnson’s mother, Lillian Lucke, who loved to ride up front until her passing earlier this year. The rolling boat has been in a number of other parades around the Northwest, Johnson said, which is beginning to take a toll on it.

“I have to pray,” he said of the times he’s taken the float on the street. “So many things can go wrong.” Still, the boat sported new shields on the side this year, carved with runic inscriptions by Sons of Norway member Jamie Casteel.

Not all the floats were big and glittery. Margo Ross, Americas United States Mrs. Washington, rode in a carriage driven by Megan Feekes and pulled by Feekes’ hoofed friend Cowboy.

“He has jingle bells and everything,” Feekes said.

Even with the frigid weather, attendees at the parade appeared to be having a marvelous time.

“It’s a great event,” said Kinder. “I love when the community comes out.”

Joel Martin may be reached via email at jmartin@columbiabasinherald.com.

Correction: Margo Ross's title was misstated in an earlier version of this article. The corrected title has been appended above.