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Flower power: New schedule, dreary weather don't hamper Florissant's spring festival
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| Josh Rolens photo Lisa Nettlehorst, a junior at Incarnate Word Academy, rides in a float during the Valley of Flowers parade on Sunday. After the parade, she was crowned the 2009 festival queen at a ceremony at the Knights of Columbus grounds. | ||
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As usual, the Valley of Flowers Festival in Florissant was a mix of big events and small, more intimate moments.
It was the crowing of Lisa Nettelhorst, a junior at Incarnate Word Academy, as the 2009 Valley of Flowers queen amid major fanfare on Sunday afternoon.
It was 600 North County Girl Scouts marching through the streets of Florissant, along with about 120 floats in Sunday's two-hour parade before a crowd of about 10,000 folks.
It was 7-year-olds Molly and Emily Beumer and Meghan Drone donning rub boards and getting a chance to "play" on stage Saturday with Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience.
And it was Bill O'Brien wiping the last bit of barbecue sauce from the side of his month, pronouncing Saturday's "Celebration of Performing Arts" a gastronomic as well as artistic success.
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"The ribs," he said, shaking his head. "They're really good."
Although Mother Nature literally didn't rain on the parade Sunday, cool weather and cloudy skies may have held attendance down at some events.
"Overall, it was very successful," said Lance Lombardo, chairman of the four-day festival. "The crowds were at least average and better in some cases."
Florissant Police Chief William Karabas agreed that crowds may have been down at some events, but the parade still drew at least 10,000 people or more, he said.
"It was 10 deep in some spots on St. Francois (Street)," he said.
Karabas said there were no major law-enforcement problems at the festival this year. Closing down the activities at the Knights of Columbus grounds earlier and enforcing a strict dress code seemed to have worked well, he said.
Lombardo said many families attended the newest feature of the festival, a special "Family Knight" on Thursday at the Knights of Columbus grounds, adjacent to the St. Ferdinand Shrine.
"We actually remained open another half an hour," he said.
Bill O'Brien liked the Thursday night event, which he attended with his daughters. But O'Brien and his wife, Missy, really enjoyed the celebration Saturday on the James J. Eagan Civic Center grounds.
Utilizing a small village of tents, the event featured acrobats, puppeteers, magicians, musicians, an Hispanic "Cinco de Mayo" village, as well as plant sales, a craft fair and flea market.
"This is definitely family oriented," said Missy O'Brien, pushing daughter Anna in a stroller while daughters Katie and Mallory ran around nearby. The girls had been in the "Tot Wheels" parade earlier that day, and Mallory was going to be on the Sacred Heart Church float in Sunday's parade. "I hate to say it, but you don't have the teenagers and stuff. If you have little kids, you don't want all of that."
Inside the nearby ice rink, the Gardeners of Florissant were busy. The weather may have been cool, but the gardeners' annual plant sale was hot.
"We're doing great," said club member Jenny Meyer, taking a break from customers inside the center's ice rink. "We're having demonstrations this morning, we're passing out some flyers. We have very loyal customers. And our plants looked great today."
Meanwhile, a few booths away, Ellen Mattli with the Florissant Environmental Quality Commission, was spreading the word about recycling.
"We're informing the residents about the recycling program," she said. "We're also asking people to sign a petition to ban plastic bags."
Under the entertainment tent, a barefoot Terrance Simien, accordion in hand, led his Louisiana Zydeco band through a special, hour-long "Creole for Kids" program. Simien, a Grammy-winning musician, has played with Paul Simon. He even showed the Grammy award to the audience.
"He does this program for kids," said Gary Gaydos, the Civic Center's theater director. "We saw him at a conference and he knocked us out."
Many of the parents who attended were as enthralled with Simien as their children.
"It felt like Mardi Gras," said Shelly Parsons, whose daughter, Jennifer, had caught her fair share of Mardi Gras beads Simien threw into the audience.
After the performance, Parsons was in line to buy a CD. Others were posing for pictures with Simien and the Grammy.
2009 Valley of Flowers Festival Awards
- Pretty Baby: Personality - Ian James Ruback (parents, Nathan and Amanda Ruback); Popularity - Cooper, Myla and Riley (parents Gina and Jim Zeier).
- Tot Wheels: 3 years and under - Treavor Rodney and Tyler Spratley, first place; Zachery Richardson, second place; Hallee Inman, third. Four to 6 years - Lindsay Rehme, first; Carter Richardson, second; Mallory O'Brien, third.
- Best Theme (parade): Dooley's Florist, first; North County Christian School, second; Buckingham Exteriors, third.
- Organization-Sponsored Float: Rosati-Kain High School, first; Sacred Heart Parish, second; Florissant Valley Jaycees, third.
- Business-Sponsored Float: Goldmark Enterprises, first; Doozies, second; Delmar Gardens, third.
- Antique Auto: American Family Insurance, first; Winschel Carpet, second.
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