CEDAR CITY — Saturday was a break from the cold weather Cedar City has been seeing and a perfect day for the annual Storybook Cavalcade Parade. The event started at 2 p.m., but residents lined up along the route in advance to find good seats.
Now in its 12th year, the parade was geared specifically for children, celebrating the beginning of the holiday season.
According to Cedar City’s website, the Storybook Cavalcade is the largest parade of its kind in the intermountain west, drawing thousands of spectators.
Before the parade started, eager kids danced on the side of Main Street, which had been blocked off for the afternoon. Some particularly excited kids were even dressed as their favorite princesses and other characters.
The fun started with a low-flying helicopter that swept over the route.
All sorts of storybook characters passed by, including Disney princesses, Star Wars characters and old classics from Mother Goose stories.
Little kids swarmed the road to snatch up pieces of candy thrown to them. Some called out to their favorite characters, sometimes earning a high-five; others danced to the music playing from the floats.
Marching bands played proudly, clowns and princesses danced as they all paraded down Main Street.
There were sponsored handmade floats, as well as “Parade Celebrities,” like Mickey and Minnie Mouse, coasting by in classic cars.
At the end of the parade came elves, reindeer and then, of course, the much-awaited Mrs. Claus and Santa. Everyone cheered as Santa passed by, his sleigh high upon a rooftop.
As the tail of the parade went by, families packed up and headed home, with the kids still jumping up and down and chattering about their favorite characters in the parade.
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Santa Claus in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
Star Wars characters walk in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
Star Wars characters in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
Thanksgiving-themed characters walk in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
The Canyon View High School Marching Band marches in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
Disney Princesses walk in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
Looney Tunes characters in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
A float in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
A float in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
Mother Goose characters in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
A kid waves a characters in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
Spectators give Iron Man high fives in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
A float in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
A float in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
Anna and Elsa from "Frozen" in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
Woody from "Toy Story" in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
Buzz Lightyear from "Toy Story" in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
Winnie the Pooh in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
A float in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
A float in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
Raggedy Ann and Andy in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
The Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
A float in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
Minnie and Mickey Mouse in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
Flash high fives kids in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
Kids get high fives from characters in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
A float in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
The Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
Mrs. Claus in the Storybook Parade, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 14, 2015 | Photo by Emily Hammer, St. George News
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Emily Elizabeth Hammer was raised in Riverton, Utah, and moved to Cedar City in 2012. She writes novels in her free time and aspires to be a full-time author. She was a copy-editor at Southern Utah University before she started at St. George News. When she's not busy working or writing, Emily does archery and spends time with her husband and their hedgehog and cat.