And the band played on

Rick Nathanson

Aug. 31, 2008 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- New Mexicans love a parade, and there are plenty of them throughout the year in communities large and small around the Land of Enchantment.

In many other parts of the country, however, parades have been getting rained on.

According to a database search of newspaper archives conducted by the Associated Press, more than 100 annual parade events have been shut down since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Organizers or municipalities cite a host of reasons, including poor attendance, shortage of volunteers and rising insurance and fuel costs.

Among the more recent victims have been the "Salute 2 America" Independence Day parade in Atlanta; St. Patrick's Day parades in Hollywood, Fla., and Bay City, Mich.; and the Western Days parade held over Father's Day weekend in West Allis, Wis.

"Some of these community parades have more people in them than watching them," pop culture expert Robert J. Thompson of Syracuse University in New York told the AP. "A kid today doesn't dream about marching in a parade."

Thompson hasn't been to New Mexico.

Marching or standing atop floats around the state are Boy and Girl Scouts, ROTC cadets, Little Leaguers, homecoming royals, rodeo queens, teen pageant competitors, sports teams, marching bands and cheerleading squads from middle and high schools, and ribbon-winning kids from 4-H and county fairs leading their goats, cows and horses.

And it isn't just kids. There are car club members driving their antique, classic or collectible vehicles, activeduty soldiers and veterans, Shriners, Rotarians and Civitans, local politicians, peaceniks, gay pride activists, motorcycle clubs, people with their pets, people with their tractors, mom-and-pop business operators and police officers and firefighters in cars and trucks with lights flashing and sirens sounding.

The local march In Albuquerque the city sponsors the Twinkle Light Holiday Parade during the Thanksgiving weekend and the Founders Day Parade in April. But other parades wind their way through city streets as well, says Linda Hubley, the events and operations manager for the city's Cultural Services Department, which issues special event permits.

There's the MLK Parade in January, St. Patrick's Day Parade in March, Memorial Day Parade in May, Gay Pride and South Valley Pride parades in June, State Fair Parade in September, Dia de Los Muertos Parade in November and several smaller events that might more appropriately be called marches but still require special event permits.

In nearby Rio Rancho, the state's third-largest city, residents line up to watch the Memorial Day Parade in May, Fourth of July Parade, Veterans Day Parade in November and the Winter Holiday Parade in December.

While the permitting process and insurance requirements, if any, vary from town to town, the spectacle of the parade remains a source of excitement, anticipation, pride and identity within New Mexico communities. Contrary to the national trend, New Mexicans support their parades and there's no shortage of them.

"Sometimes it seems like every other week we're having a parade," says Dorothy Nobis, president and chief executive officer of the Farmington Chamber of Commerce. "San Juan County residents love their parades and they show up for them. We're what communities used to be, and unfortunately around the country people don't have that small-town feeling anymore. Too bad. That's what built America."

Parades in that northwest New Mexico community regularly result in people standing up to five deep along the main street, she says. And it's like that for all the parades, which include the Freedom Day Parade during Fourth of July weekend, the Connie Mack and the San Juan County Fair parades in August, the Electric Light Parade in December and the Shiprock Fair Parade in October on the Navajo Reservation.

If that's not enough, folks in Farmington can travel to the nearby communities of Aztec and Bloomfield. Each May Aztec hosts the Fiesta Days Parade as well as the Pet Parade and Prince and Princess Parade, and in October the Octoberfest and the Volkswagen parades. Over in Bloomfield there is the Bloomfield Days Parade in May and a Christmas Parade during the holiday season.

"At our last Christmas Parade we had our best attendance ever," says Bernadette Smith, executive director of the Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce. "People in Bloomfield just look for things to do right here in our town, and parades bring them out and bring in people from other areas, too."

According to Jean Brinkerhoff, information GAY PRIDE coordinator with the Aztec Chamber of Commerce, "those who say hometown parades are dying are helping them to die." Because people so easily "get caught up in life," she says, "parades are a nice way to relax and enjoy yourself, your neighbors and your community."

Along the eastern New Mexico border, residents of Clovis line up to see the Pioneer Days Parade in June, the High Plains Junior Rodeo Parade in July, an Ethnic Day Parade in September and a Christmas Lights Parade in December. They also attend the Border Town Parade in nearby Farwell-Texico, and many drive the 90 minutes or so north to the Ute Lake community of Logan to watch that town's July Fourth parade and fireworks.

The big parade in Roswell is the annual UFO parade held in July as part of the UFO Festival. "It takes forever. It's very traditional, goes down Main Street and it's packed," says Roswell Chamber of Commerce executive director Bernarr Treat. Despite the extraterrestrial theme, Treat says, "it's about all-American as you can get."

The area is also home to the Eastern New Mexico State Fair Parade in October. About 70 miles to the west in Ruidoso is the Golden Aspen Motorcycle Rally in September. It attracts more than 30,000 enthusiasts, many of whom ride in a parade. North of Ruidoso in the community of Capitan is the Smokey Bear Stampede and Rodeo held each July, which also features a parade.

"Hell, yeah, parades are very much alive and well, at least around here," Treat says. "They're entertaining, and they're free."

Carlsbad has a parade "generally on most holidays," says Lisa Boeke, marketing and tourism director for the city's Chamber of Commerce. "Different organizations put them on and generally they're well attended and successful. Smaller towns organize parades as something to do, but they're also a way to show community spirit, promote community involvement, and help citizens get in touch with who they are. It's more for the locals than the tourists."

The compact southern New Mexico community of Cloudcroft is big on parades. The 768 residents organize at least four of them each year, including the Mardi Gras Parade in February, Miss New Mexico Parade in June (held in conjunction with the pageant in Alamogordo), a July Fourth Parade, and a Pet Parade in December.

"It doesn't matter if only 20 people show up, they still have fun," says Jason Baldwin, director of the town's Chamber of Commerce. "People are always supportive of parades, and our downtown area is maybe a quartermile long, so it makes it easier to coordinate and execute a parade, and it makes the crowds seem bigger." And nothing better represents rural American life, hometown values, and sense of community like a parade, he says.

While the cost of gas has been cited as a factor in the abandonment of some parades, folks in the southwest New Mexico town of Silver City might be dismissive of that reason. "If you have people saying, 'oh, gas prices are up so no one will do it,' then no one will do it," says Torey Reese, statistical analysis specialist with the Silver City Grant County Chamber of Commerce. "We have some of the highest gas prices in the area and we still have parades. We just had our most successful July Fourth parade in a long time. Our park was packed for two days during our celebration." Silver City also hosts a well-attended Christmas parade, Reese says.

The nearby community of Hurley began having a parade three years ago after a 40-year absence. What used to be a Kennecott company-owned copper mining town is in transition and many retirees are moving in, explains SaVanne Kilgore, president of the Hurley Pride Committee. The committee organizes a May parade and car show. The 1.5-mile parade route attracts about 1,500 people, drawing visitors from Silver City and Deming.

"Some of the older folks told me, 'this is what we remember our town was like when I was 10 years old,' " Kilgore relates. If parades are vanishing from the American landscape, it doesn't seem that way from her perspective. "It sure looks to me like hometown parades are coming back to life," Kilgore says. "People like the fellowship it brings back to the communities. We have families coming back to Hurley and holding reunions during the car show. The parades and the shows and the celebrations are what's bringing life back to our community."

In Albuquerque, there is no cost for a special event permit, though Linda Hubley, events and operations manager for the city's Cultural Services Department, says additional permits may be necessary and may have fees.

Special permit fees cover the cost of barricading streets, monitoring food vendor sales, the setting up of tents, security services and post-event clean-up.

"There are basic costs associated with putting on an event, and it can escalate pretty quickly," depending on what's necessary, Hubley says, noting that many permits individually are under $50.

Albuquerque is self-insured and parades sponsored by the city are covered under its policy. Insurance for noncity sponsored parades is left up to the sponsoring organization, Hubley says, but acquisition of insurance is not a prerequisite for obtaining a special event permit.

Parades are not intended to generate profits. "Our goal is to improve the quality of life for our citizens," she says. "People in Albuquerque really look forward to parades because it gives them a sense of small town America as well as a sense of community."

Newstex ID: KRTB-0010-27829807