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SEQUIM -- The city wrapped up its annual
salute to 19th century irrigation Saturday as thousands
of people converged on the North Olympic Peninsula for
what's considered to be the longest-running community
festival in the state.
Washington Street -- which is often bumper-to-bumper
these days -- was host to a different kind of slow-moving
traffic starting at 11 a.m., as a parade of classic and
antique cars took over the road.
After the cars came the Grand Parade,
which had everything a festival parade should and then
some --floats, marching bands, community leaders, pageant
royalty and even logging trucks and heavy equipment.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars, American
Legion and other veterans organizations had a strong showing,
and elicited a strong response.
Two of the most popular parade entries,
though, were as unconventional as they were entertaining
-- the Motorcycle Drill Team of Tenino, which led the
parade, and the crack South Hill Weed Wackers, who marched
in formation with lawnmowers, leaf blowers and other yard
implements.
Parade route lengthened
The parade followed an extended route
this year, going an additional two blocks down Washington
Street to Seventh Avenue.
While parade organizers said at one point
that the extension posed logistical difficulties, Saturday's
parade flowed smoothly.
The Irrigation Festival began as a May
Day observance that coincided with the May 1, 1896, opening
of an irrigation ditch that brought water from the Dungeness
River to what was then a dry Sequim Prairie.
The irrigation system that grew from
that first ditch spurred agriculture in the region and
is still used today for both farms and residential property.
Parade winners
Here are the winners of Saturday's 2005
Irrigation Festival Grand Parade:
* Grand Sweepstakes: Marysville Strawberry
Festival.
* President's Award: Tacoma Daffodil
Festival.
* Governor's Award: Clallam County Fair.
* Mayor's Award: Capital Lake Fair.
* Chairman's Award: Cowichan Lake Community
Float.
Judge's Special Awards
* First: McCleary Bear Festival.
* Second: Forks Old-Fashioned Fourth
of July.
* Third: Family of Freemasonry.
* Fourth: Port Townsend Rhododendron
Festival.
Commercial
* First: Sequim Lavender Growers.
* Second: Bekkevar.
* Third: Sherwood Assisted Living.
Non-commercial
* First: Newcomers Club.
* Second: Sequim Prairie Garden Club.
* Third: Montessori.
Community Drill Teams
* First: Miss Dangerettes of Seattle.
* Second: Hood Canal Drill Team.
* Third: Wal-Mart Drill Team.
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