Lilac Parade

My hometown of Lombard, Illinois is famous for one particular thing. Lilacs. There is a park in town called Lilacia Park that has a huge collection of lilacs of all sorts of varieties.

There is also a parade every year called the Lombard Lilac Parade. I remember going to this parade every year in May at the peak of the blooming of the lilacs in town. This parade has been held every year since 1930. I haven't seen this parade for more than 25 years but I remember seeing the marching bands and the floats crafted by local businesses and schools. I recal the Shriners driving their motorcycles or flying carpet gocarts. The clowns, the horses, the clubs. What I always liked best was the fire engines. They always had 20 or more fire engines at the beginning of the parade from Lombard and the neighboring towns. They had their sirens blaring and they were really really loud. It made some little kids cry!