Wallace celebrates Statehood Day

When it comes to Wallace parades...

Where else could you see Angel the Pig upstage arch villain Cyril VonSlade?

On Monday, Wallace hosted its annual event which celebrated the state’s 126 year birthday.

The event welcomed any and all.

Parade participants lined up in front of the historic Elks’ building in Wallace with a baker’s dozen of floats, marchers, vehicles, etc. for the 45 minute parade around the heart of historic Wallace.

Imagine aspiring thespians, angel pigs, junkyard trucks bailed together with bunting and bondo, ATV aficionados, aging soiled doves or town drunks, all are welcome in this parade of democracy.

Baby pig, Angel, was all patriotic in bows and bunting poised pretty as you please in her patriotic perambulator.

As Melinda Messenger doted on her dainty baby, she offered lipstick to little Angel, then thought better.

One can’t be too careful about putting lipstick on a pig.

Nearby, Cyril VonSlade conspired with Felicia Nightshade, his cohort in that Bad Business at the Brewery, or... Who Botched Bessie’s Brew?

The full cast from the Sixth Street Melodrama and Theater also lined up in costume and makeup complete with fliers, candies and a little impromptu parade sword fighting.

Col. Wallace waved from one mean black Mustang convertible.

Suffragette May Arkwright Hutton looked Sunday best in another convertible.

The Wallace High School cheerleaders marched accompanied by their miner mascot.

A Packard 120 convertible cruised the parade route along with an old Ford truck looking spiffy in red white and blue bunting.

A small group of spinners on exercise bikes rode in place on a Vers Fitness float, fire trucks honked their horns, and a red-nose, solitary clown marched.

“This is Wallace. We are open to anything. The more the merrier,” said Rayma Shields.

She started the parade about ten years ago as way to celebrate Idaho’s birthday.

“Wallace loves its parades. You don’t need an outfit to march. You just come as you are,” said Dave Copelan, coordinator Wallace Chamber of Commerce.

“Whimsy, that’s what it is, whimsy!” said Copelan.

While not as large as years past, the statehood parade still had enough down-home quirk to delight the most grumpy old men or taciturn teenagers.

“It’s pretty cool,” said Ryley Howell, 17, a parade marcher since the 4th grade.

The event was also pretty cool for the younger audience as they hustled into the street, chasing handfuls of candy being thrown.

John Bell, 57, and his long-haired Dachshund, Helen Reddy, loved the mini Tootsie Rolls.

He sported his Great Seal of Idaho hat.

“I love it here- the parades, this town is beautiful,” he said. “I only wear this at the statehood day parade and elections.”

“I never miss an election.”

One can only hope that everyone continues to show up and that it never rains on a Wallace parade.

“It’s fun. You never know who will show up. We love doing it. Sometimes its big and sometimes it’s small. And that’s okay either way,” said Anita Price, parade co-chair.