Well, the old song, Don’t Rain on my Parade, a Barbara Streisand/Fanny Brice classic, lived up to its billing, Saturday, May 9, 2015. Although the Ladue Dogwood Festival ended a washout, the City of Ladue executed its parade just in time.
Neighbors, friends, and local businesses lined Clayton Road to cheer the various participants, who included parade Grand Marshalls John and Julie Mozeliak, the mayor and councilmen, and neighborhoods along with churches, the Ladue Middle School band, and Ladue commerce including Central Bank’s horse drawn carriage..The parade safely reached its end destination at Ladue Middle School shortly before the first raindrops kept “fallin on our heads”. All right, enough rain lyrics!
While the Mayor and festival organizers scrambled to adjust the timing of the event, the Three Pedros did everything they could to rally the remaining crowd. Ultimately, everyone felt too soaked to stay the course, and the festival concluded by 12:00 Noon.
As with any rainout, the vendors only sold part of their wares. While we did not take a full inventory of participating restaurants, the following offered some very tasty selections: Truffe’s, The Women’s Exchange, Sportsman’s Park, Schneithorst’s, and Schnuck’s. Some of the children’s games weathered the storm even after the band and the food and beverage tables closed.
The sponsors for the festival included Central Bank, Mosquito Squad of Greater St. Louis, Schnarr’s Hardware, Truffles Restaurant, Butchery, Aldine Travel, CK Power, The St. Louis Audi Dealers, and the elite sponsor, Janet McAfee Real Estate.
The Festival may have ended early, but the parade happened without a glitch. Don’t Rain on My Parade became the soundtrack of our minds.
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- Dave Ryan, Chris Cass, general manager, Audi Kirkwood
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- Julianne Jurs, Katya Evans, Denise Bacott from Great Clips with Jessica Callaway, Treats Unleashed
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- Sarah, Julia, Polly Lett, owner, Imagination Toys
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- Jessica Callaway, Treats Unleashed, with some of the store’s product line.
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- John Judson, Two Men and A Truck, with his “crew”
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- Susan Gausnell, chair, Nancy Spewak, mayor, City of Ladue, John Mozeliak, co-grand marshall, Seth Gausnell, Tim Valvo, Nelson Howe, Mimi Baer
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- Denise Bacott, Julianna Jurs, Katya Evans from Great Clips
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- Jim Howe, Charlie Hiemenz
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- Maddie, Gigi, Eva, Mark
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- Amy Dove, Kim Gaertner, Laura Lumaghi
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- Ted and Lou Noland
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- Will with Julie and John Mozeliak, parade grand marshalls
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- Lindsey Hogan with Scout, Finley, Matthew
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- Mike Robertson, Keith Harder and team with Coach Harder Driving School
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- Rebecca Miller, Hillary Franz, Anne Oefeleia, Katie, Nick Pass, John Mozeliak
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- Janet McAfee Real Estate
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- Clayton-Ladue Rotary
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- John Mozeliak, Nick Pass
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- Ladue Garden Club
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- Clayton-Ladue Rotary in front of their “club’s car”, a Rolls-Royce, owned by Sam Hopmeier
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- Paul Denk, Mark Denk from the Ladue Hunting & Fishing Club
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- John Mozeliak, parade co-grand marshall, Chris Cass, Audi Kirkwood
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- Lynne and Brooks Parriott, Pattering Paws and Rent-A-Relative, in front of their small “fleet”
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- “Chloe”, a 1971 Fiat
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- Treats Unleashed Treat Truck
