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Easter Bonnet Contest slated for March 30

Will be two days before annual Easter Parade

Photo by Brett Dunlap Jennifer Perkins of Obermeyer’s Florist and Kiki Angelos, organizer for the 2017 Mid-Ohio Valley Easter Parade, show off Easter bonnets.

PARKERSBURG — People will have a chance to decorate and show off their Easter hats during the Easter Bonnet Contest.

The Easter Bonnet Contest will take place March 30 at Tall Oaks Event Center at 1703 20th St. in Parkersburg.

People can register their hats March 29 from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and March 30 from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Judging will be from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. with the winners announced at 7 p.m.

The Bonnet Contest is being held in conjunction with the 8th annual Mid-Ohio Valley Easter Parade at 2 p.m. April 1.

In the past, the bonnet contest was held on the day of the parade. That turned out to be rushed trying to fit the contest and the parade in one day.

”It is a big relief for many to know the Easter Bonnet contest changed from being the same day as the parade to having it two days before,” said parade organizer Kiki Angelos. ”That gives everyone a chance to enjoy it more. Everyone won’t be rushed.”

The winners of the bonnet contest will ride in the parade on Saturday.

The contest will have two divisions, entries by those over 16 years of age and entries by those under 16 years of age, said Easter Bonnet chairwoman Carole Hanlon.

The hats will be judged in two categories within each division, most creative and most beautiful. In addition to the two categories in each division, an overall best of event will be selected.

”We want people to participate,” Angelos said. ”Get your hats and start decorating.”

The grand prize winner will receive a big screen television compliments of Big Sandy Furniture, a sponsor of the Easter Parade. Prizes will be awarded to the other winners.

”The Easter Committee looks forward to the entry of many beautiful and original creations in a Bonnet Contest that has become a tradition within our community,” Hanlon said.

The Bonnet Contest ties in with the theme of this year’s parade, which is “Decorate Your Hats For Easter.”

Angelos said there are a wide variety of themes people can incorporate into their bonnets.

”They can go to any extreme they would like from flowers to Easter themes to religious themes or any type of decoration,” she said.

The bonnet contest is open to men and women, but organizers said they are excluding ball caps this year.

Also, just the hats will be judged.

”People won’t have to be present for the judging,” Angelos said. ”They will come here and drop their hats off.”

When people drop their hats off they will be given a number that matches their hat.

”The judges will not know who made which hats,” Angelos said. ”The judges will just judge the hats.”

At the evening reception on March 30 people will be able to see who won.

People can still sign up to be in the parade as the application deadline is March 24.

Entry fees are $30 per vehicle for commercial, $30 for politicians, $15 per vehicle for non-commercial entries, $20 for walking units with a vehicle/$10 without a vehicle, no charge for fire departments, $10 per vehicle for motorcycle groups and a group rate of $10 per vehicle for groups with five or more vehicles.

Applications can be downloaded at info@moveasterparade.com and can be picked up at Auntie Ann’s Pretzels in Grand Central Mall and Chick-fil-A locations at the mall and along Grand Central Avenue.

Checks should be made payable to the Mid-Ohio Valley Easter Parade.

Line-up will be at the corner of 19th and Market streets. That is where the registration table will be.

A panel of judges will be at Market and 13th streets to judge the floats in commercial and non-commercial classes with 1st, 2nd and 3rd places awarded trophies.

Floats will be judged by most creative, most original and how closely it follows the theme.

In addition to the parade and bonnet contest, the 5th annual Spring Easter Celebration will be 6 p.m. March 28 on the front campus of Parkersburg High School.

A ceremony will be held with entertainment provided by Big Red Brass Ensemble, PHS A Cappella Choir, ROTC, Key Club, Neale Elementary Choir, Student Council, Big Red Indian, Chick-fil-A Cow and the Easter Bunny.

An Easter Egg Hunt will be held following the ceremony, sponsored by Elks Lodge 198. Prizes include Golden Eggs and Easter baskets.

For more information on the Easter Bonnet Contest, contestants may visit the Easter Parade website at moveasterparade on Facebook or Tall Oaks on 20th Street for entry forms.

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