Homecoming in Hailey

Big Belly Deli

Yesterday, after two days of reading, shopping, and just hanging out, we decided to go biking. It was a bright, yet cool day with temperatures in the low 70's. At first I regretted wearing short sleeves. We were riding south and there was a pretty brisk wind in our faces. It took 15 or 20 minutes to forget about being chilly. We wanted to get to the end of the trail. We found the termination at the southern end of Bellevue, a small town a couple of miles south of Hailey. Our plan was to have a sandwich at the Big Belly Deli in Hailey, so we turned around and headed north 5 miles, arriving in Hailey 20 minutes later. As we aproached Main Street, we noticed a flat bed truck filled with kids who had an assortment of band instruments, heading north on Main Street. It was pretty obvious they were having a great time!

At the deli, we ordered our sandwiches and headed out to the patio in front, wanting to stay in the warm, sunny weather. As we were eating, the Hailey police arrived at the corner and blocked the side street with yellow tape. Both of us noticed that there were people lining up along Main Street. We heard someone mention parade and figured that it must be homecoming time in the local Wood River High school. We were right!

Freshman Royalty

Fifteen minutes later, we were treated to a delightful display of happy, enthusiastic high school students having great fun. Their floats were the usual high school fare--trucks and flatbeds decorated with green and white crepe paper and hand-painted signs saying "Go Wolverines! Beat the Senators!". What was so striking was the level of student participation. Float after float went by, all containing 10 to 30 students each. I lost count, but it seemed that all the clubs and organizations in the high school were represented. Their band must not be a marching band, because the members rode on the flatbed that we had observed earlier. As they went by, they played what sounded like local school songs. The chorus had a float, complete with keyboard and sound system, so while they went by, we heard selections from their repertoire. The football moms were represented and several of them went into the crowd handing out home-made oatmeal raisin cookies! Even the math club and the Volley Ball Team were represented. I lost count of the organizations that participated, but the parade went on for about one-half hour. It was amazing! So many young people were having fun, being supported by parents and merchants along Main Street who closed their doors to watch the local high school homecoming parade. Such a happy community! (More photos below.)

The "Marching" Band