Godahl holds 48th annual parade

By CHANCE PRIGGE

Journal Staff Writer

GODAHL -- It was like a mirage.

Driving through miles of fields, trees and small towns in south-central Minnesota, little was there to break the monotony in the early afternoon of Labor Day.

But nearing Godahl, a town with a population that barely breaks into the double digits, something stuck out.

There were hundreds of people gathering along the stretch of highway that ran through the small town. Behind a baseball field, a line of fire trucks, floats, cars, tractors and many people waited their turn to get on the highway to take part in Godahl's 48th annual Labor Day Parade.

Even the Schell's horse-drawn kegs made a visit.

Under a warm sun and slight breeze, people of all ages set up folding chairs and sat along the road. A variety of people and organizations made their way through the parade.

Perhaps loudest of those participants were this year's candidates for everything from county recorder to state representative. Loud in a visual sense, that is.

Mark Wiger, who is running for state representative, walked along the sides, greeting parade goers. Brad Finstad, also running for state representative, had a John Deere tractor pulling his campaign trailer. Cody Schreyer, a third state representative candidate, had a vehicle touting his candidacy. A moment or two after it passed, Schreyer came by, chatting with the crowd, not seeming too eager to catch up to his campaign truck.

A handful of candidates for Watonwan County sheriff as well as two candidates for county recorder also made their parade rounds, passing out everything from stickers to little plastic badges and -- the typical parade fare -- candy.

Also interspersed in the parade were classic automobiles. A '28 Ford truck made its way down the path, as did a '58 Impala, a '73 Cadillac El Dorado and a '61 Studebaker Hawk, to name a few.

Several organizations were featured in the parade. The Lake Hanska Area Association had its people in a boat tugged by a pickup truck. The Brown County Dairy Association, with Dairy Ambassador Sarah Haala, was on a float resembling a farm with a barn.

There was also a group of people in period outfits to celebrate the Younger Brothers capture.

Some people featured in the parade were Pleasantview Good Samaritan Queen Ella Sturm, Brown County's outstanding seniors Harold and Beverly Bartz, and Watonwan Dairy Princess Amber Goltz.

The Hanska Community Fire Department, St. James Fire Department, La Salle Fire Department and Butterfield Fire Department drove their various fire engines through, too.

The parade, having started at about 12:30 p.m., winded down at about 1:15 p.m., at which time people flocked to the food and began taking part in the afternoon of music and activities behind the Godahl Recreation Center.