The Show Must Go On: Parkersburg welcomes rescheduled Mid-Ohio Valley Easter Parade
Harrison Barclay, 5, waves at the Easter Bunny Saturday during the annual Parkersburg Easter Parade. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
Vietnam veterans, who served as the grand marshals of Saturday’s Parkersburg Easter Parade, wave from a truck on Market Street. (Photo by Terry Estep)
An employee of the Gift Gallery walks down Market Street Saturday during the annual Parkersburg Easter Parade. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
Members of the Refuge Church toss out candy and blow bubbles Saturday during the annual Parkersburg Easter Parade. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
Emmeline Shotsberger, 4, dances as the Parkersburg High School Big Red Band moves down Market Street Saturday during the annual Parkersburg Easter Parade. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
The annual Parkersburg Easter Parade moved down Market Street Saturday with Vietnam veterans as the grand marshals. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
A trio of horses move down Market Street Saturday during the annual Parkersburg Easter Parade. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
A group of kids wave to Mickey Mouse Saturday during the annual Parkersburg Easter Parade. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
Brad Graham, aka the Mid-Ohio Valley Superman, walks along Market Street during Saturday’s Parkersburg Easter Parade. (Photo by Terry Estep)
Harrison Barclay, 5, waves at the Easter Bunny Saturday during the annual Parkersburg Easter Parade. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
Vietnam veterans, who served as the grand marshals of Saturday’s Parkersburg Easter Parade, wave from a truck on Market Street. (Photo by Terry Estep)
An employee of the Gift Gallery walks down Market Street Saturday during the annual Parkersburg Easter Parade. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
Members of the Refuge Church toss out candy and blow bubbles Saturday during the annual Parkersburg Easter Parade. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
Emmeline Shotsberger, 4, dances as the Parkersburg High School Big Red Band moves down Market Street Saturday during the annual Parkersburg Easter Parade. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
The annual Parkersburg Easter Parade moved down Market Street Saturday with Vietnam veterans as the grand marshals. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
A trio of horses move down Market Street Saturday during the annual Parkersburg Easter Parade. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
A group of kids wave to Mickey Mouse Saturday during the annual Parkersburg Easter Parade. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
Brad Graham, aka the Mid-Ohio Valley Superman, walks along Market Street during Saturday’s Parkersburg Easter Parade. (Photo by Terry Estep)
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PARKERSBURG -- The annual Mid-Ohio Valley Easter Parade made its way down Market Street Saturday after being postponed two week earlier due to concerns about high winds.
"We couldn't have had a better day today," parade judge Sharon Coleman said.
Coleman said she was worried the other things going on around Parkersburg might have kept spectators away but that wasn't the case.
Judges voted on what they thought were the best floats, and plaques were given to the winners. Coleman said originality, effort and sticking to the overall theme of an old-fashioned Easter were taken into consideration.
"Anything to do with the old fashioned Easter," Coleman said. "The beautiful balloons are always a big plus."
There were categories for judging, commercial and non-commercial, with the Gift Gallery winning first for commercial and the South Parkersburg Pickleball Gang winning first for non-commercial.
"Gift Gallery, the balloons that they did with the butterflies was one of the favorites," Coleman said.
Leavitt Funeral Home placed second in the commercial category, with Grogg's finishing third. Bikers For Christ finished second in the non-commercial category with #25 Parkersburg Catholic Schools coming in third.
Coleman said they spent a lot of months planning the parade. While she's glad this year's is over, she's already looking forward to next year.
"I can't wait till next year to start planning," Coleman said.
The winner of the best overall hat title in the Easter Bonnet contest was a handmade piece by Julie Deklavon. The parade judges determined that award as well, parade founder and organizer Kiki Angelos said.
Douglass Huxley can be reached at dhuxley@newsandsentinel.com