Pet parade promises fun (by Anna Rendall, Daily Journal)
Photo by Mark Hundley - Scores of participants will flock to the streets of Burlingame this weekend to participate in the city's annual pet parade.
Last year, a family of straw-hat wearing Hawaii-Five O-ers took home the grand prize at the Burlingame Pet Parade. Their dog wore a lei and Hawaiian print shirt, too, of course. But Carley, a black lab, had quite some competition, including a devil, ballerina, jester, racecar driver, motorcycle rider and pirates. Although the family won for their creative outfits and float even the wagon they toted an inflatable palm tree in wore a grass skirt the grand prize can go to any participant for any category, and this Saturday at the annual Burlingame Pet Parade, the judges will, again, have some tough calls to make. It can be anything at all,? said Burlingame Mayor Terry Nagel, one of the many volunteers behind the pet parade.
This year, the parade will include participants, their pets and a horse who has been in the Rose Bowl three times, all led by a miniature train to the sounds of the Los Trancos Woods Community Marching Band. However, Broadway will host more than a parade this Saturday. The Peninsula Humane Society will show its mobile adoption van and spay and neuter unit. Clowns will make balloon animals before and after the parade, and students from Art Attack art studios will draw sketches of pets. The San Mateo Elks Concert Band will perform. And after riding in the parade, engineer Rudy Horak will give children rides on his miniature train, and at 12:15 p.m. he will give kids a ride on the Storytime Express? to Blue Skies on Broadway, where Mr. Buddy the Clown, accompanied by Mayor Terry Nagel and Police Chief Jack Van Etten, will read animal stories to children at 12:30 p.m. All for free. Everything is free, free, free,? said Nagel, who added the parade and activities are volunteer-funded and run. This is a very for the people by the people type' of gathering,? said Nagel.
Last year, more than 1,000 people watched 450 participants march in the parade. Out of the 450, six prizes were awarded. For the Begovich family, winning last years' grand prize was a shock. It was a big surprise,? said Daniel, now 8, one of the three brothers who took home the prize last year. Hs older brother Joseph, 10, said he had fun making their float. They were thrilled,? said Mariann Begovich, their mother, who said her sons' grand prize ribbon currently hangs in their bedroom, mounted in a picture frame with a newspaper clipping of the event and a photo of them at the parade. Because some children can't have pets, stuffed animals are allowed in the parade and competition. In fact, a prize in the past went to a couple of girls with stuffed animals in their wagon, said Nagel. This Saturday, a new award will be given out to celebrate Burlingame's 100th birthday: Best Costume with Centennial Theme.? This year's parade will also welcome the addition of a new judge and the end of the pre-registration requirement.
In addition to pets, participants march with their homemade floats, which can sit atop a wagon, bicycle, or kiddie car. Everything in the parade must be foot-driven except for the train. Wheelchairs and strollers are allowed, according to the parade's Web site. No cars will be in the parade. One of our rules is that there are no politicians riding in cars,? said Nagel, who added that commercial booths were banned in addition to political participation. The whole reason we started the parade was to make friends and have fun,? Nagel said.
The parade route, which is available at burlingamepetparade.com, will begin at parking Lot Y between Laguna Avenue and Chula Vista Avenue and end back at the same parking lot less than a half-mile and about 30 minutes later, according to the Web site. Then the judges will choose the winners, including honorable mentions. We used to do big, fancy prizes, but now we have big, fancy ribbons,? said Nagel. The pet parade will be the fourth for Burlingame, after its conception in 2004 when, after witnessing a Fourth of July pet parade in Bend, Ore., Nagel brought the idea back to Burlingame and, with other dedicated volunteers, started what became Burlingame's annual pet parade. The first parade was very informal, a couple dozen people straggled down the street and boom, it was done,? said Nagel. Now, she said, it's a big event.
Other winners last year included motorcycle rider Rocky, a German Shepard from San Mateo for best-dressed pet, and Hollywood of Colma, a 3-foot-tall miniature pony with ribbons in his mane and gold manicured hooves complete with glitter tips for most interesting pet. Nagel said the parade has had a whole range? of pets, from geckos, rats, exotic birds and snakes. But the majority of the pets parading are pooches. I can't tell you how many dogs have pedicures,? said Nagel.
Photo by Mark Hundley - Scores of participants will flock to the streets of Burlingame this weekend to participate in the city's annual pet parade.
Last year, a family of straw-hat wearing Hawaii-Five O-ers took home the grand prize at the Burlingame Pet Parade. Their dog wore a lei and Hawaiian print shirt, too, of course. But Carley, a black lab, had quite some competition, including a devil, ballerina, jester, racecar driver, motorcycle rider and pirates. Although the family won for their creative outfits and float even the wagon they toted an inflatable palm tree in wore a grass skirt the grand prize can go to any participant for any category, and this Saturday at the annual Burlingame Pet Parade, the judges will, again, have some tough calls to make. It can be anything at all,? said Burlingame Mayor Terry Nagel, one of the many volunteers behind the pet parade.
This year, the parade will include participants, their pets and a horse who has been in the Rose Bowl three times, all led by a miniature train to the sounds of the Los Trancos Woods Community Marching Band. However, Broadway will host more than a parade this Saturday. The Peninsula Humane Society will show its mobile adoption van and spay and neuter unit. Clowns will make balloon animals before and after the parade, and students from Art Attack art studios will draw sketches of pets. The San Mateo Elks Concert Band will perform. And after riding in the parade, engineer Rudy Horak will give children rides on his miniature train, and at 12:15 p.m. he will give kids a ride on the Storytime Express? to Blue Skies on Broadway, where Mr. Buddy the Clown, accompanied by Mayor Terry Nagel and Police Chief Jack Van Etten, will read animal stories to children at 12:30 p.m. All for free. Everything is free, free, free,? said Nagel, who added the parade and activities are volunteer-funded and run. This is a very for the people by the people type' of gathering,? said Nagel.
Last year, more than 1,000 people watched 450 participants march in the parade. Out of the 450, six prizes were awarded. For the Begovich family, winning last years' grand prize was a shock. It was a big surprise,? said Daniel, now 8, one of the three brothers who took home the prize last year. Hs older brother Joseph, 10, said he had fun making their float. They were thrilled,? said Mariann Begovich, their mother, who said her sons' grand prize ribbon currently hangs in their bedroom, mounted in a picture frame with a newspaper clipping of the event and a photo of them at the parade. Because some children can't have pets, stuffed animals are allowed in the parade and competition. In fact, a prize in the past went to a couple of girls with stuffed animals in their wagon, said Nagel. This Saturday, a new award will be given out to celebrate Burlingame's 100th birthday: Best Costume with Centennial Theme.? This year's parade will also welcome the addition of a new judge and the end of the pre-registration requirement.
In addition to pets, participants march with their homemade floats, which can sit atop a wagon, bicycle, or kiddie car. Everything in the parade must be foot-driven except for the train. Wheelchairs and strollers are allowed, according to the parade's Web site. No cars will be in the parade. One of our rules is that there are no politicians riding in cars,? said Nagel, who added that commercial booths were banned in addition to political participation. The whole reason we started the parade was to make friends and have fun,? Nagel said.
The parade route, which is available at burlingamepetparade.com, will begin at parking Lot Y between Laguna Avenue and Chula Vista Avenue and end back at the same parking lot less than a half-mile and about 30 minutes later, according to the Web site. Then the judges will choose the winners, including honorable mentions. We used to do big, fancy prizes, but now we have big, fancy ribbons,? said Nagel. The pet parade will be the fourth for Burlingame, after its conception in 2004 when, after witnessing a Fourth of July pet parade in Bend, Ore., Nagel brought the idea back to Burlingame and, with other dedicated volunteers, started what became Burlingame's annual pet parade. The first parade was very informal, a couple dozen people straggled down the street and boom, it was done,? said Nagel. Now, she said, it's a big event.
Other winners last year included motorcycle rider Rocky, a German Shepard from San Mateo for best-dressed pet, and Hollywood of Colma, a 3-foot-tall miniature pony with ribbons in his mane and gold manicured hooves complete with glitter tips for most interesting pet. Nagel said the parade has had a whole range? of pets, from geckos, rats, exotic birds and snakes. But the majority of the pets parading are pooches. I can't tell you how many dogs have pedicures,? said Nagel.
- Written by Fiona
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