Milwaukee permanently cancels Memorial Day Parade

... for lack of interest. https://www.jsonline.com/story/news...nceled-permanently-2022-event-off/7381105001/

 

Call me a grumpy middle-aged journalist if you want (it’s true), but if they canceled every single remaining parade, it would be great.

 

Parades that go all-in are great. The other 95 percent suck so much.

I only enjoyed parades because we got dozens of great photos to fill space on otherwise drab pages.

 

I hate to say it, but is Memorial Day a day for parades? Aren't parades supposed to be celebrations? Always thought the best way to commemorate Memorial Day was a trip to the local veterans cemetery.

 

For years, my kids’ Boy Scout troop would march in a parade that went to the local veterans cemetery, where the VFW and American Legion would have a nice ceremony, then everyone would march back. The local firehouse would have hot dogs and snacks for the marchers when the parade ended.

 

Growing up in the 80s, I remember going to them every year. In fact, our town had two parades, one small and then a bigger one in another part of town a couple hours later.
I hated the bands, but 8-year-old me that wanted to be a fireman marked the hell out for the firetrucks.

 

Call me a grumpy middle-aged marching band expat but if they canceled every single remaining parade, I'd rejoice. Memorial was always hotter than hell and this was the early 90s when we were still required to perform in full polyester uniform with helmets. Parents would walk along with us with spray bottles to blast us in the face ( on request) if we were getting too hot. And that parade route was about three miles long.

 

I was a drummer in marching band through high school and junior college. Then, our drummer group stayed together to continue marching parades, having campouts and drinking lots of beer.
I might agree to be in a parade, but I have no interest in watching one.