Gilbert Days Parade

Watson’s Flowers is a family business, started by my Grandparent on my dad’s side. The business has been in existence for 75 years and they are well known throughout the valley.  Each year they enter a float into the Gilbert Days parade.  The tradition is for the 5-year-olds in the family to ride the float.  I got to ride it with my cousin and grandma when I was five, only back then the parade was in Mesa.  I still remember the green velvet dress I wore and the beautiful pink flowers on the float. 

This year was Stephen’s turn.  He was thrilled!  He got to dress like a farmer cowboy.  Shhh don’t tell him he was really supposed to be a farmer….

 

If you look closely, you can see that the float is covered in real rose petals, even the giant sunflower petals are filled in completely with yellow rose petals and the stems are covered in rose leaves.  The night before the parade we went down to the flower shop to help glue the petals to the float.  It really turned out spectacular!

Here is Stephen, ready to roll.  He had practiced his “medium wave,” the small wave being too small and the big one too big.

 

My brother, Allen, Scott, and I, along with many cousins, aunts and uncles walked along side the float and handed out flowers to the crowd. 

Yeah…all those flowers.

It is so much fun handing out the flowers.  Everyone is delighted when you hand them a flower.  We heard “Thank you!” over and over again.  We were a little generous at the beginning perhaps because we ran out of flowers a block before the end of the parade!

 

Here are the little farmers, posing for pictures before the parade.  Four boys and one girl!

 

Stephen insisted that the hat was more comfortable this way…backwards.  There is that notorious flannel, plaid shirt we went to D.I. for…

 

A rare photo of Scott and I …

 

After the parade Stephen was ecstatic that he got to choose a few flowers to keep.  We also got to take a lovely arrangement home with us.  A happy little farmer!

 

We had so much fun!  Only two and a half years until Boston can ride the float!