People Line The Streets For This Year’s Mermaid Festival Parade

This year’s Mermaid Festival parade procession was led by members of the North Webster American Legion, who carried America’s colors forward through the parade route. InkFreeNews photos by Phoebe Muthart.

NORTH WEBSTER — The rain held off long enough so that the annual Mermaid Festival parade could take place under sunny skies Saturday, June 26.

By Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. the parade kicked off. The sidewalks lining North Webster’s Main Street were filled with delighted youngsters and their families, eagerly awaiting the parade of vehicles, marching bands and floats that celebrated the festival. After two years of not having a parade, many were eager to see the entries in this year’s event.

The procession was first led by members of the North Webster American Legion, who carried America’s colors forward through the parade route. They were followed by law enforcement and fire department vehicles representing many of the county’s finest departments.

Several high school marching bands, including the Marching Warrior Pride of Wawasee High School, performed their versions of many well known tunes. There were 10 marching bands in the parade. The winners were Angola High School that received first place, followed by Bremen High School and Northrup High School.

And there were several creative floats that carried each of the 15 Queen of the Lakes contestants. The floats also made their way down the street, giving parade viewers a sneak peek at what was to come at the pageant that would take place later at 7 p.m.

The 2021 Queen of Lakes winner is Corynn Barton, Miss Tippecanoe Lake.

The hour-long parade included numerous candy throwers, who delighted kids eagerly anticipating the entries that included tossers of the sugary treats. There were plenty to go around, as nearly every child walked away with bags filled with yummy treats.