The weather was perfect and the crowd immense at this year’s Veterans Parade

Saturday’s Veterans Parade downtown was one for the books. It’s always a toss-up of what mother nature has in store, and let’s just say, the city should collectively buy lottery tickets. We somehow ended up perfectly between two weather systems and there wasn’t a lick of rain the entire day. What’s more, the clouds parted halfway through, and it was nothing but blue skies and sunshine the rest of the afternoon.

It literally did not rain on our parade. Sill cold, though.

Weather aside, after 57 years, the parade continues to impress and enrapture. The day started with the community breakfast and then moved gingerly into the Remembrance Ceremony and Lighting of the Flame at Veterans Memorial Park.

By 11 a.m., the parade proper began and for two straight hours, hundreds of Auburn residents wrapped in fleece and cotton and grasping something warm watched as over 170 participants moved through Main Street. Bands played in rapturous fashion, dancers danced, veterans saluted, and plenty of eyes wattered.

KOMO News’ Lee Stoll and Theron Zahn, who live-streamed the event and served as emcees, said it best when they reported that Auburn’s Veterans Parade has become the largest parade of its kind west of the Mississippi, quite possibly the united states. Speaking of, you can watch their entire live stream of the day here.

The festivities ended around 1 p.m., which is when the Auburn Memorial Stadium hosted the marching band competition and at the same time, the Auburn Noon Lions Veterans Luncheon was underway.

Feel free to re-live the magic with us by checking out our full photo album. See ya next year!