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ragons, a UPS driver, misting bicyclists, a senior Olympian were part of the Croaker Festival parade on Saturday.

Leading the way this year was Leon Jones, who was likely more familiar with the homes and businesses along the parade route than most parade grand marshals. Leon will be retiring this week from his job with UPS, and to mark the occasion, he was tapped to be the Croakerfest Parade Marshal. Leon and his wife, Teresa and their family rode a pontoon boat down Broad and Hodges.

While many along the way shouted out his name, others may not have recognized Leon Jones because of his change of vehicle. Instead of his UPS truck – depicted here in a banner given to him before the parade.

Parade Grand Marshal Leon Jones, and his family near the Town Dock and Oriental’s harbor.

This was the Croaker festival Parade, and the parade theme was “Croaker Doodle Dandy.”

But on Saturday, Oriental’s other icon ruled. One dragon, in particular.

Croaker as dandy candy? A fish is served up to the maw of the most hyper-extended dragon in Oriental parade history. The folks from Deaton’s Yacht Service were behind (and under) the dragon. Word is the dragon has since gone in to hiding so that the cherry picker can once again work on masts at the boatyard.

It took ten people two days to create the dragon, according to sources at Deaton’s. The efforts paid off — the judge’s declared it the Best in Parade. The effect drew oohs and ahs, and some predictions that it’ll be a part of future parades.

Deatons did have a pooper-scooper walking behind. Just in case.

The folks from Mainsail Point had a dragon that kept lower to the ground. Their dragon won for Best Interpretation.

Despite high gas prices, none of this years dragons walked the parade route. Even with a motor, though, some dragons tails were draggin’.

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Pamlico Community Band’s “Croaker Band” led the way.

The best seat in the parade wasn’t a chair, but a massage table. Regina Dubiel works Marsha Thorn’s neck on a float promoting a number of health related businesses in town.

Marsha’s niece, Hannah Thorn, meanwhile, went for the more caffeinated experience of riding in the Bean jeep.

Some traveled in nautical miles. The float for the new Youth Sailing Camp sports three of the Optimist dinghies the children have learned to sail on this summer.

Several students from the Bow to Stern Youth Sailing Camp. They were judged to have the “Best Throw Outs” in the parade. (They threw chocolate candy.)

The parade watchers at Hodges and South Water, wait to see what’s next….

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George Wisnesky, gives a sunny salutation, with the banner from the Body Balance yoga studio. Body Balance won for Best Fit and Able and Best Team Spirit.

The Pamlico Library’s “Catch the Reading Bug” program featured a few mammals – human and canine – dressed up as bugs. One girl’s dog was dressed up to be a butterfly. The judges declared this float “The Best Non-Use of the Parade Theme”. (Though that ‘butterfly” might’ve passed for a ‘doodle bug’, if not a cicada. )

The HOPE Clinic’s float was judged to be the Biggest Patriotic Fish.

Fish with bicycles. Part of the Oriental Express Bicycle Club in the line-up for the parade.

Some in the OEBC spritzed the crowd with water. .

In the event that spritzing wasn’t enough, Pamlico Rescue was on the scene. (In this instance traveling at well under the speed limit.)

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Irma Bond, Senior Olympian, couldn’t show her NC-record long jump form on the float — that would require 13 feet of space — but she did show her biceps.

If I had a horse… The hoof polish did not go un-noticed by the judges. It won “Most Patriotic Horse” honors.

A camo-bedecked vehicle in a tribute to the troops. The judges voted it “Most Creative.”

John Bond draped his golf cart in the flag.

Some of the winning Deaton’s team after the parade, with the Best in Parade “Grand Poo-Bah” award, atop one crew member’s head.

Here are the other winners the judges announced after the parade:

Most Fit and Able and Most Team Spirit – Body Balance/Oriental Therapeutic Massage/Dragon Studio/Oriental Express Bike Club
Best Car Dancing – Carole Burley’s “Thelma and Louise”
Largest Patriotic Fish – HOPE Clinic
Best Throw Outs (Chocolate Candy) – Bow to Stern Youth Sailing Camp and the Three Musketeers
Best Theme Interpretation – Mainsail Point
Best Train – Moose Family
Best Costumes – Spinnaker Point
Best Non-Use of Parade Theme – Pamlico County Library
Best Dressed Animals – Pamlico Animal Welfare Society
Cutest Kids with Bubbles – Pamlico Partnership for Children
Just Because/Support Our Troops – Laurie Mills
Most Creative – Bonnie Kissell
Most Patriotic with Music – Skeeter Creek
Best Smile and Wave – Miss Grifton
Best Float with a Mermaid -First Citizens Bank
Most Animated – Shriner Gators
Most Patriotic Horse – Lead Horse carrying flag, the one with sparkling hooves.
Best Assortment in One Float – Oriental History Museum

The judges also introduced what they said might be a yearly award called the Booby Prize. This year’s went to Down County Opry “for talking on a cell phone while in the parade.” In announcing the award, judge Marguerite Garrett noted that the cell-phone was being used while the float was passing before the judges.

For some parade viewers, the floats and presentation competed for attention with the candy tossed along the parade route.

A good seat at Main and Broad. Reserve yours now for next year.

Posted Tuesday July 8, 2008 by Melinda Penkava