It's not too soon to make plans to attend the Oklahoma Centennial Parade, 10/14/07 at 2:00 p.m., said to be the most teriffic parade in Oklahoma history!

See Doug Dawgz Blog: Oklahoma Centennial Parade (http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/2007/06/oklahoma-centennial-parade.html)

I've revised the blog post, Doug Dawgz Blog: Oklahoma Centennial Parade (http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/2007/06/oklahoma-centennial-parade.html) , to include more images and some additional text. Unfortunately, I've not found a great deal more about the October 14 Centennial Parade's detail ... guess that will come as the event gets closer.

As for "other" parades involving the centennial, here are some pics:

Macy's 2006 Thanksgiving Day Parade

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/macys_nadia.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/macys_newyorker.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/macys_orlandosentinal.jpg

2007 Rose Parade

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/rocketman_dot_org.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/roseparade_bhupendra.jpg

The Centennial Parade's Banner

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparadewebsites.jpg

The Centennial All*Star Band in the Rose Parade

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialbandroseparade1.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialbandroseparade2.jpg

You're right, Doug. It's not too early. I'm presently planning a trip down there that weekend for the Mizzou-OU game and now I know to book a later flight home on Sunday or simply stay over until Monday. I'd love to be a part of the celebration.

Great, y_h! With some luck, the Hornets preseason game here may fall in that time period, too!

I'd originally intended to stick some "vintage" parade pics in the Centennial Parade post, but I decided it should have its own post ... so here it is ...

Doug Dawgz Blog: OKC Parades (http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/2007/06/okc-parades.html)

Here are the pics ... larger (usually 1024 px wide) pics are available in the blog ...

July 4, 1890
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/parade_1890_july4s.jpg

Same but zoomed in on the band
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/parade_1890_july4bs.jpg

An 1893 parade
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/parade_1893s.jpg

Easter parade, 1900, passing by the Turf Saloon
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/parade_1900_easter1s.jpg

Ladies Getting Ready for the above
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/parade_1900_easter2s.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/parade_1900_easter3s.jpg

Teddy Roosevelt & Rough Riders parade, July 1900
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/parade_1900s.jpg

1906, probably Easter parade
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/parade_1906s.jpg

A 1907 parade, possibly statehood
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/parade_around1907s.jpg

Streetcar stike - showing unhappy citizens in March 1911
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/strikeparade4s.jpg

Another pic showing unhappy citizens while a meeting was going on by city leaders inside the hotel
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/strikeparade3s.jpg

Parade by Carmen during the strike
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/strikeparade0s.jpg

Parade when strike was over -- Police Chief Tilghman got hit by the lead car!
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/strikeparade1s.jpg

Another view of the parade
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/strikeparade2s.jpg

Gov. Walton's parade day after he was sworn into office - 1/9/1924
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/parade_1923_govwaltons.jpg

Parade for Judy the Elephant in 1950
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/parade_1950_judys.jpg

A closer look of same
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/parade_1950_judy2s.jpg

Civil Rights parades usually started here in the early 60s
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/deepdeuce/calvarybaptist.jpg

Charlton Heston marched in 1961
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/parade_1961_hestons.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/parade_1961_heston2.jpg

MLK, Jr. Parade 2004
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/mlk2004_jmbzine_coms.jpg

And, a couple of pics from 2006's Gay Pride parade
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/parade_2006_gay_prides.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/parades/parade_2006_gay_pride2s.jpg

That's a wrap!

Why is it not on the 11/17?????? That is when we became a state!

I'd suppose that the reason is that 10/14 is on the weekend (Sunday).

Just wanted to remind everyone the Centennial Parade is coming up next weekend. It will be an event of the century unless you want to wait another 100 years.

Parade Information
TIME: Parade will step-off at 2:00 on Sunday, October 14th rain or shine and last approximately 1 1/2 hours from any one point. The Parade will also be broadcast live throughout the state of Oklahoma on OETA.

ROUTE: The Parade will begin at Sheridan Ave. and Hudson and travel down Sheridan turning right onto Robinson, left onto Reno, left onto Gaylord and following onto Broadway before ending at 8th St.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In 1907, Oklahoma began what has become a great journey as the 46th state in our great Union. A proud spirit drives this journey forward into the next hundred years with the accomplishments of her citizens, the contributions of her diverse cultures and a genuine warmth and friendliness. This journey will also wind through the streets of Oklahoma City on Sunday, October 14, 2007 as the Oklahoma Centennial Parade echoes this legacy: Oklahoma - A Unique History…An Extraordinary Future.

With floats, giant helium-filled balloons, celebrities and marching bands, The Oklahoma Centennial Parade Presented by The Noble Corporation will be an event unlike any other the state has seen. Hundreds of thousands spectators will gather along the streets of Oklahoma City in addition to those watching at home on OETA. It is our chance to celebrate as a community that which binds us together - being an Oklahoman.

http://www.okcentennialparade.com/img/index_logo.gif


OK Centennial Parade (http://www.okcentennialparade.com/)

Don't forget the Parade this upcoming weekend!

Local celebs will help make parade grand


http://static.newsok.biz/article/3142089/CENTENNIALBUG_10-07-2007_1H2IS3I.jpg

Oklahoma Centennial Parade
•Day and time:2 p.m., Oct. 14.
•Where: Downtown Oklahoma City.

Coming this week
These are the stories we've planned for the week about the Oklahoma Centennial Parade:

•Tuesday: Planning for the parade has been a three-year process. We'll go behind the scenes to learn how the parade went from concept to reality.

•Wednesday: Did you know the parade won't be the only big-time event in downtown Oklahoma City on Oct. 14?

•Thursday: Before heading to the "grandest parade in state history,” organizers hope that Oklahomans will remember to show off a little bit of their hometown spirit.

•Friday: What's it going to take for OETA to televise the parade? What preparations must be made in downtown Oklahoma City?

•Saturday: We'll talk to a few celebrity parade participants.

•Sunday: We'll answer any last-minute questions you may have about the parade.
Source: Oklahoma Centennial Commission


That might sound like a claim designed to pique the public's interest. But a glance at a few of the parade's 100 entries wipes away doubt.

It's not too often a parade has four astronauts, five Miss Americas, two Heisman Trophy winners and a two-time Olympic gold medalist.


That's a sampling of those scheduled to appear in the Oct. 14 parade.

The parade centers on the official centennial slogan, "Celebrate Oklahoma! A Unique History. An Extraordinary Future.” Professionally-designed floats, giant helium-filled balloons depicting Oklahoma icons and children's favorite characters, performance groups, celebrities and marching bands will roll beginning at 2 p.m. along a two-mile path through downtown Oklahoma City. Award-winning actor and Oklahoma native James Garner (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=James+Garner&CATEGORY=PERSON) will be grand marshal.

The parade will be presented by the Noble Corporation (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Noble+Corporation&CATEGORY=COMPANY), a Fortune 500 company and one of the world's largest offshore drilling companies.


"The Oklahoma Centennial (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Oklahoma+Centennial+Commission&CATEGORY=ORGANIZATION) Parade is a fantastic statewide celebration for all Oklahomans. It is a grand celebration of our state and the many contributions we've made to agriculture, energy, aviation, sports, science, and of course, entertainment,” said Blake Wade (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Blake+Wade&CATEGORY=PERSON), Oklahoma Centennial Commission (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Oklahoma+Centennial+Commission&CATEGORY=ORGANIZATION) executive director.

"This parade, like many Oklahoma achievements, is a grand testament to the vision of our citizens and the volunteers from all corners of this magnificent state who have come together to make this a special event for all Oklahoma families.”
Eleven themes will focus on aspects of state culture: "A Unique History — An Extraordinary Future,” America (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=United+States&CATEGORY=COUNTRY)'s heartland, American Indians, black gold, building minds, country music capital, cutting edge, growin' strong, home of champions, Oklahoma rising and state of the arts.

Well-known Oklahomans scheduled to appear in the parade include Gov. Brad Henry (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Brad+Henry&CATEGORY=PERSON) and first lady Kim Henry (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Kim+Henry&CATEGORY=PERSON), musicians Byron Berline (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Byron+Berline&CATEGORY=PERSON), Ty England (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Ty+England&CATEGORY=PERSON), Katrina Elam (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Katrina+Elam&CATEGORY=PERSON) and Bryan White (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Bryan+White&CATEGORY=PERSON), astronauts Owen Garriott (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Owen+Garriott&CATEGORY=PERSON), John Herrington (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=John+Herrington&CATEGORY=PERSON), William Pogue (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=William+Pogue&CATEGORY=PERSON) and Thomas Stafford (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Thomas+Stafford&CATEGORY=PERSON), sports greats Johnny Bench (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Johnny+Bench&CATEGORY=PERSON), Shannon Miller (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Shannon+Miller&CATEGORY=PERSON), Steve Owens (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Steve+Owens&CATEGORY=PERSON), Billy Sims (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Billy+Sims&CATEGORY=PERSON), John Smith (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=John+Smith&CATEGORY=PERSON), Eddie Sutton (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Eddie+Sutton&CATEGORY=PERSON) and Jason White (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Jason+White&CATEGORY=PERSON) and Miss Americas Jane Jayroe Gamble (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Americas+Jane+Jayroe+Gamble&CATEGORY=PERSON) (1967), Susan Powell (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Susan+Powell&CATEGORY=PERSON) (1981), Shawntel Smith Wuerch (1996), Jennifer Berry Gooden (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Jennifer+Berry+Gooden&CATEGORY=PERSON) (2006) and Lauren Nelson (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Lauren+Nelson&CATEGORY=PERSON) (2007). Organizers said the parade, which is free and open to the public, should be 1½ hours long. OETA will televise the parade live across the state

Centennial Parade to draw thousands

October 12, 2007

OKLAHOMA CITY – The most anticipated event of the Oklahoma centennial celebration is just two days away. The downtown area will be transformed in one giant celebration Sunday for the Centennial Parade, which is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.

Oklahoma native and famed actor James Garner and Miss America Lauren Nelson will be co-parade marshals and will welcome the hundreds of participants and the thousands of onlookers as bands, floats and helium-filled giant balloons will be presented.

The parade will begin at Hudson and Sheridan avenues, move east to Robinson Avenue, then south one block to Reno Avenue, east to E.K. Gaylord Boulevard, and north to NW Eighth Street. The route is about one mile in length.

Lee Allan Smith, president of Oklahoma Events Inc., said it will be the result of four years of preparations. “We’ve been planning it a long time and we call it the grandest parade in Oklahoma,” he said. “We hope the rain stays away, but we’ll have it even if it rains.”There could be up to 100,000 spectators, providing it is clear weather, and even if it rains, the streets will be packed, Smith said. “It’s hard to say how many people we’ll have; we don’t have many parades,” Smith said. “If it’s a day like today (Thursday), we could get the 100,000, or even more. Either way we expect a good crowd. It’s been heavily promoted and talked about for quite a while and has had a lot of support.”

A flyover by a B-2 bomber will signal the beginning of the parade. Smith said spectators should arrive early.“There’s a lot of parking downtown, but we’ll also have three Park and Ride areas – Remington Park, Crossroads Mall and the State Fair,” he said. “People can park there, pay $1, and the buses will take them right up to the action.”

The parade will be an hour and a half long and will have 3,400 participants. There will be 12 bands, 11 large floats and 13 giant helium-filled balloons. Jeanie Edney, deputy director of Oklahoma Centennial Commission, said organizers learned plenty by participating in the Macy’s Parade in New York City and the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, Calif.The parade will have 11 themes, all having to do with the state and its history, including oil, agriculture, aerospace, American Indians, and others. It will be televised live on OETA and repeated later that night.Copyright

The Journal Record

I've never beed to a Parade downtown so can anyone recommend a good place to park? Do they charge to park on the streets on the weekends.. I don't think the meters are running but I want to make sure.
and recommendations needed for the best place to actually watch the parade.. I'd like some shade preferably.. and also, should we bring chairs? or an Ice Chest with water??? Who else is planning on going?

Anyone going to try the buses?

Just to recap, meters do not charge on weekends or weekdays after 6pm. I'd get there an hour or more early. Downtown streets close at 1:30pm.

I'm not sure, Karrie ... what we are planning to do is:

1) Park my car in the Broadway/Kerr garage this morning (if it's open; Santa Fe parking if not) ... my wife will follow me down ...

http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtown/09.gif

2) When it's time to go, get a taxi to the garage and watch the parade from the garage by the car. The parade passes by the "round" part of the Broadway/Kerr garage and it should give a good vantage point.

3) Drive the car home when the parade is done. That may make us "stuck" there until it's OK to drive downtown again ... so that's a possible flaw in the plan.

But, I can't think of anything better.

From NewsOK:

Doug, here might be some more options if that doesn't work.

Five years of planning culiminate at 2 p.m. today when the Oklahoma Centennial Parade takes to the streets of downtown Oklahoma City.


The free 1½-hour parade is billed as the "grandest” in the state's history.
Professionaly designed floats, balloons depicting Oklahoma icons and children's characters, performances, celebrities and marching bands will roll along a two-mile path. Emmy Award-winning actor and Oklahoma native James Garner will be grand marshal.

"The interest in this grand parade has been overwhelming with local churches, museums and businesses showing their support with many pre-parade activities,” said Lee Allan Smith. As president of OK Events — a subsidiary of Oklahoma City-based Ackerman McQueen and the planning arm for the parade — Smith has overseen nearly every detail.

Here's what parade lovers need to know:

Broadcasting
Two Oklahoma City-based television stations and The Oklahoman's Web site will broadcast the parade live.

•KFOR-4 (Cox 3).
•OETA (Cox 14).
• www.NewsOK.com (http://www.newsok.com/).
KAUT-43 (Cox 16) will rebroadcast the parade at 6 p.m. today.
Parking
Roundtrip park-and-rides will be available for $1 per person. Buses will be provided by the Oklahoma City School District.

Buses will leave pick-up locations every 10 minutes. The last bus will leave the parade area at 6 p.m.
Pick-up locations:
•South of the State Fair Grandstand. Riders will be dropped off at Robert S. Kerr and Robinson avenues.
•Crossroads Mall west parking lot. Riders will be dropped off at Reno Avenue and Mickey Mantle Drive.
•Remington Park northwest parking lot. Riders will be dropped at NE 6 and Oklahoma Avenue.
Several city-owned parking lots and garages will be open. For more information, go to www.parkingokc.com (http://www.parkingokc.com/) and www.downtownokc.com (http://www.downtownokc.com/).

Nearly 880 free spaces will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Oklahoma County parking garage, on the northeast corner of Robert S. Kerr and Hudson avenues. The lot will be open noon to 6 p.m.

Route
The parade will start at Hudson and Sheridan avenues, go west on Sheridan, south on Robinson Avenue, west on Reno Avenue, north on E.K. Bouelvard and end at NW Eighth and Broadway Avenue.


The parade will stop for performances on Sheridan Avenue between Hudson and Robinson avenues.

Street closings
Beginning at 9 a.m. today:


•Main Street between Classen Boulevard and Hudson Avenue.
•Sheridan Avenue between Fred Jones and Hudson avenues.
•California Avenue between Fred Jones and Walker avenues.
•Shartel, Lee and Dewey avenues between Main Street and Reno Avenue.
Beginning at noon today:
•NW 10, NW 9, NW 8, NW 7, NW 6 between Hudson and Oklahoma avenues.
•Broadway Circle.
•Broadway Avenue and Broadway Place between NW 10 and NW 13.
Seating
No bleachers are available for the public. Parade-goers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets.

People are encouraged to arrive early to get a good viewing area, organizers said. Seating is first-come, first-served.

The best parking and seating for those with special needs will be near NW Fourth and Broadway Avenue.

Weather

Rain or shine, the show will go on. But organizers are making contingency plans, which will allow some wiggle room.

In case of high winds, balloons will be tethered closer to the ground, Smith said. Organizers will watch the radar closely, Smith said, and if it's possible to delay the parade a few minutes to miss a heavy downpour, they will consider doing so.

Thanks, Karrie, I was just about to post what you did! Mary Jo is now a little uncertain about whether to go so my "plan" may change ... if it's just "me", it might be more fun to follow the parade a bit as it meanders its way through downtown, if that is possible.

On edit at 11:15. Mary Jo decided to go. Just executed the "Plan" and parked in the Broadway/Kerr garage for $5. Talked to a policeman (they are EVERYWHERE) and the garage attendant (which had lots of spaces as of 10:35) and she said my "Plan" worked well ... there were plenty of people camped out on Broadway & Gaylord already ... this is going to be exciting!

went to it. didnt think it was that good at all. for a parade that comes around once a century i thought it was a huge let down.
our floats in the rose parade were way better than any at this one.
the best part was the stealth bomber flying overhead to start the thing.

I thought it was great!!!
lots of fun to me anyways...
The floats, marching, bands, helium balloons
were all awesome and my friends liked it to!!!

fromdust, I have to agree with you.. I guess I was so excited about it and it was so built up .. really, it was pretty anti-climatic. We left our home at 11:30 am .. parked on Main Street, walked to the Myriad Gardens, found a spot in the shade right near where they filmed the parade and where all the shows took place... placed our chairs, went to grab a burger and came back. The kids were excited but once it started, they were so bored..after 15 min they elected to listen to their Ipods instead... it was frankly, pretty uneventful and a little boring. All around me, people seemed to feel the same way. I'm really disappointed. I guess I had high expectations.

The stealth bomber by far was the most exciting thing.

Rocket man made an appearance but really all we heard was the noise of the rocket and saw him for a few seconds and that was it.

Oh well, it wasn't terrible .. I just think I had too high expectations. The excitement factor just wasn't there.

Oh well, it wasn't terrible .. I just think I had too high expectations. The excitement factor just wasn't there.

no we didnt have too high of expectaions. this only happens ONCE in our lifetime. they didnt even have a grand finale!

I watched the TV version on OETA.

I watched the TV version on OETA.


In retrospect, I wish I had done the same!

It took something away from it when there was about 10 minutes between everything that passed. We got there late and left early. The highlight of the time was seeing the heisman winners.

I just got off the phone with my parents. They went down today and sat with friends in the VIP section across from the Cox / Ford Center.

My dad said of the spectacle, and I quote: "That was the most underwhelming, over-hyped, expensive pile of #@*& I have ever experienced." He then had a few choice words about the Centennial "organizer," but I'll leave that part out of this commentary.

I sat in the VVIP section of my own living room, remote in hand, ready to flip to another station when the cheese factor got too high for my tastes. I made it about half an hour.

Mom pretty much echoed my dad's sentiment, although she did give props to the OU, Langston and Broken Arrow Marching Bands, and the horses. Everyone in their party, as well as many of the folks sitting around them, had similar opinions of it all.

Mom also noted the lull in between floats or groups, and complained that the "Miss Americas" were not present.

I told her the Miss Americas were busy performing their TV duties and were giving commentary and/or acting as "sideline" reporters for the OETA broadcast.

We surmised that the lull in between some of the groups was due to the fact that some of the floats or cars with celebrities stopped at the media station in front of the Myriad Gardens. In some instances, these dignitaries were interviewed by one of the Miss Americas. In other instances, a performer would stop to sing for the TV broadcast. As such, they held up the parade behind them for however long it took them to perform.

On a side note: Mom also noted that the Cox Center parking lot (underneath the convention center) was virtually EMPTY!!! She wasn't sure if the entire lot or just a portion of it, was supposed to have been reserved for those with VIP passes. She said when they got there at 12:30 (to take their bleacher seats), and then again when they left, there were no more than 60-75 cars in the entire lot, that it was virtually empty. What a WASTE.

As I write this, I'm watching the finale on the PBS re-broadcast now because one of the singers is a girl I went to high school with. All I can say is "ugh."

My dad said of the spectacle, and I quote: "That was the most underwhelming, over-hyped, expensive pile of #@*& I have ever experienced."


That about sums it up, (very nicely I might add!)

It is a shame actually...and very sad.. I can't figure out exactly what went wrong.. it just was so bland

Thanks, Lee Allan Smith. Another monumental dud.

For sure it was overhyped, I think they tried to be a Rose Bowl, but failed, for me it was like watching a broadway show.... glad I did not go, did a split screen with more exciting football games

I thought it was a great parade ... not without shortcomings ... but great just the same. I'll explain my reasons later today when I have time and will post a few pics. I've started an article which contains many images but it's not done:

Doug Dawgz Blog: Oklahoma Centennial Parade 2 (http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/2007/10/oklahoma-centennial-parade-2.html)

I'll have to agree with Parksgal's dad on this one. Very uneventful and not organized very well. If they wanted to interview the celebrities, they should have done so before or after the parade...not during. Caused too many blank moments. If you plan and spot things right - even when the bands stop to perform they shouldn't create spaces in the overall parade. There were two exciting parts to the parade - Billy Simms screaming Boomer to the crowd, and the guy getting arrested on the sidelines for having weapons. The only band that could march and perform simultaneously was Langston. Even the people in the parade looked bored. How much money was spent on this?

We were sitting in front of where they were interviewing the celebs and it was hard to hear anything at all. I think that they really did this more to televise the event, rather than cater to the people lining the streets.

Even the little Edmond parade has tons of clowns on bikes and little cars ( crazy drivers ) but the kids love that kind of stuff.... I was imagining something like a Disney parade or a more entertaining event.

Hey, it was free and I'm not trying to be really negative about it.. it wasn't lousy or anything.. it was just a disappointment and I agree kmf563.. I was wondering how much money was spent... I'm sure wayyy toooo much!

To be fair, I think it's pretty hard to make a parade interesting, especially for the entire length of the parade. I think they're way overrated to begin with, and unless it has anything special or unique to it (like maybe the rocketman jumping off the First Interstate building or Matthew Broderick lip syncing Beatles tunes :) ), they're all pretty boring, imo.

Not everyone likes a parade.

I agree with both the good and bad comments about the parade, etc. I think in all honestly, Blake Wade and Centennial Commission did a fair job, but really failed at making the Centennial a "wow" event that it should have been.

I was fairly disappointed with the parade. There were some large gaps in between floats and stuff. My son was bored 30 min into it and he normally loves parades.

maybe I just chose a poor location...

Ouch ouch ouch.

You guys are harsh. I don't really know what people were expecting, but I thought it was pretty grand. I was at the end, so it was pretty spread out at places, but overall I thought it was good and the opening number on TV was impressive.

It appears as though everyone is content with their opinion(s) and that's fine by me ... have no interest in debate about whether the parade was good or not, although I obviously thought it was quite good and I would go again. The parade was largely paid for by the Noble Foundation as well as by other corporate donors. So ... no worries ... the free parade only cost those of you that were displeased a misspent afternoon, and, of course, gas & parking, possibly broken hearts and missing some cool TV programs! :)

I've finished posting about 100 or more parade images in my blog ... I broke them into 2 parts because of the length ... so if anyone wants a look ... (the blog powers that be advise that all Blogspot blogs may be done for maintenance at 4 pm Pacific time today) ...

The 1st part covers (1) people, (2) airplanes, (3) bands, and (4) cars: Doug Dawgz Blog: Oklahoma Centennial Parade 2 (http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/2007/10/oklahoma-centennial-parade-2.html)

The 2nd part covers (5) Horses, (6) Walkers, and (7) Baloons & Floats: Doug Dawgz Blog: Centennial Parade 2A (http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/2007/10/centennial-parade-2a.html)

I've not added much descriptive text yet, but here are my "Doug Dawgz Best of Class" or something like that:

(1) Best "Person At The Parade" ... of the 175,000, well, that would have to be my wife, wouldn't it! She is on the knoll across from the garage where I was mainly located when I took parade pictures ...

Larger pic: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_wife01.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_wife01s.jpg

(2) Best "aircraft" ... no contest between the helicopters and this guy ...

Larger pic: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_aircraft02.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_aircraft02s.jpg

(3) Best "band" ... the Broken Arrow High School Band ... these guys have won national and state awards and it showed ... a band with an attitude ... chins & chests out, fists clinched, no nonsense faces ...

Larger pic: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band06a.jpg

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Very honorable mention ... The Langston Band point group

Larger pic: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band05.jpg

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(4) Best Car

Larger pic: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_cars_03.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_cars_03s.jpg

(5) Best Horses -- Budweiser Clydesdales

Larger pic: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_horses08.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_horses08s.jpg

(6) Best Walkers -- The Heart Hostpital People ... what a hoot!

Larger pic: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_walkers09.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_walkers09s.jpg

(7) Best Float/Baloon

Larger pic: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float21a.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float21as.jpg

I surely would like to have seen Rocket Man come out of the top of this at the end, and the closing song & dance ... as well as the very opening events ... but parades just don't work that way ... unless they are exceptionally short ... or unless you're content with TV ... do they? I was pleased that 175,000 or so (according to the Oklahoman & Tulsa World) showed up ... had to get out some extra plates, I guess ... I think that only 100,000 or so were expected for dinner! I walked most of the route before settling down in the Broadway/Kerr Parking Garage ... it's in the 1st of the blog posts.

Great pics Doug... I love the Stealth Bomber!

You didn't miss much regarding Rocket Man.. we sat right in front of where they were interviewing celebs and the mic was on the announcer but you couldn't hear the answers.. ie James Garner and astronauts.. you could hear the singers pretty well.

Rocketman was really loud but it lasted all of about 2 seconds.. so it was okay but you didn't miss much there. It was a lot longer in the Rose Bowl I believe or maybe it just looked really cool on TV.

Like I said, I can't really complain .. it was a free parade, my fault I think for having too high expectations, more than anything.

How much money was spent on this?
whatever the cost, i think most of it was spent on the stealth bomber. ha! sad, sad.

great pics Doug!

missed the parade, saw the bomber from where i was hanging out for the day down south shields way. Picked me outta my spot and onto the front walk in a shake or two. was fun to watch, more so to suddenly realize how quiet the sucker is.

Thanks, kmf563 ... I'll post some of the float pics below ...

Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float01a.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float03.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float04.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float05.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float06.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float06s.jpg

Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float07.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float07s.jpg

Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float08.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float08a.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float08b.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float08c.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float09.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float10.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float11.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float12.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float13.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float14.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float15.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float15s.jpg

Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float16.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float16a.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float17.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float17s.jpg

Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float18.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float18s.jpg

Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float19.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float19s.jpg

Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float20.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float20s.jpg

Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float21.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_float21s.jpg

WOW.. seen from above it looks better!

Maybe I should have gone up somewhere.

You're spoiled by TV! ;)

Thanks Doug. I'll try to post some of my pics as well. I was by the Colcord so I had it and First National in the background of my pics. What I don't understand, is where were all the Oklahoma floats that we used in the Rose Bowl parade earlier this year?

Might as well go ahead and post the bands I took, too.

Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band00a.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band00as.jpg

Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band00b.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band00bs.jpg

Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band00c.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band00d.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band00ds.jpg

Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band00e.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band00es.jpg

Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band00f.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band02.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band02a.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band03.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band03a.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band05.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band05a.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band05b.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band05c.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band01.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band07.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band07a.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band08.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band11.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band04.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band09.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band10.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band06a.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band06.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band06b.jpg

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Larger pic at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/centennial/centennialparade_band06c.jpg

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There were one or two that I didn't get pics of.

We started watching it on OETA and only lasted about 10 minutes. That opening number was so incredibly hokie it was embarrassing. I'm so glad we didn't waste the time and the effort to go down there.

The parade being so underwhelming sort of sums up this entire Centennial project. This thing could have been so exciting - the entire year should have been filled with fun things to do - like highlighting a different state attraction each month with a special admission price, or turning the state fair this year into a sort of world's fair for the state with a different attraction from each county, and maybe a new fabulous "monument" or something to remember the year by. There are so many other ideas that would have been great if someone had just thought things through better, and it wouldn't have had to cost a lot.

Having this parade in October may have meant it was on a weekend but it also means the actual Centennial Day is likely to be just another day of the year and nothing special.

Oh I'm so tired of hearing the complaints.

It was held in October so it wouldn't be FREEZING people.

I'd like to see you plan an entire year's worth of events that satisfy everyone. Impossible.

Jbrown - the problem is there hasn't been an "entire year's worth of events" - or if there have been they've not been publicized much at all - that's my point about that. The Macy's parade is in November and people don't seem to mind freezing to see that one. While I realize that ours was no Macy's parade, I still think people would have gone to see it.

Seriously - how hard would it have been to have something special at the state fair this year, or even have the Tourism department highlight a different attraction each month that highlights our history. It would have been so easy to make this more of a celebration - that's all I'm saying.

karlanee, to each his/her own. But about 200,000 watching the parade (street, hotels, garages combined) 1st hand when only about 100,000 were projected ain't too shabby, in my book.

Jbrown - the problem is there hasn't been an "entire year's worth of events" - or if there have been they've not been publicized much at all - that's my point about that. The Macy's parade is in November and people don't seem to mind freezing to see that one. While I realize that ours was no Macy's parade, I still think people would have gone to see it.

Seriously - how hard would it have been to have something special at the state fair this year, or even have the Tourism department highlight a different attraction each month that highlights our history. It would have been so easy to make this more of a celebration - that's all I'm saying.

That's what I'm saying. If you had gone to Travelok.com or the centennial website or looked at Oklahoma Today or a number of other publications, you would have seen that there were indeed events throughout the year designated as Centennial events--in all the little towns across the state.

A lot of things were done and a lot of monuments put in place to mark the Centennial. I'm sorry they didn't fit exactly into how you would have done it, but we can't please everyone, as this thread will attest. I for one like the clocks and the fountain in Bricktown and thought the parade was very well done with a few minor nitpicks.

Well, that's two people that liked it... well worth the cost...

Travelok.com... centennial website... Oklahoma Today... wow! I don't know how anyone might have missed such wide publicity.

What I don't understand, is where were all the Oklahoma floats that we used in the Rose Bowl parade earlier this year?

The floats in the Rose Parade are made entirely of natural materials (mainly flowers), so I'm sure the pretty parts of the float are in someones garden as compost.

I'm sure the cost of transporting/storing the float structures were cost prohibitive.

I wish there could have been a grand finale float similar to one of the ones in the Rose Parade, though.

I watched parts of the parade on OETA and my thoughts were “this is a pretty good parade for Oklahoma”. It would have been nice to say “this is a pretty good parade” without the “for Oklahoma” and not have the low expectations I think too many of us have accepted for too long. Things have come a LONG, LONG way in the past 10 years, but in order to keep growing and improving we need to have high expectations of ourselves and our city and state leaders, planners and event organizers. There have been many events I’ve attended that I have been disappointed in and there have been many recently that my thoughts have been “not bad for OKC” however that would translate to “below standard” for a lot of other places. I think the vocal criticism is GREAT. Citizens of Oklahoma need to stand up and stop settling for mediocrity. We live in a great city with HUGE potential and in order to reach it we all need to demand nothing but the best. I look forward to the day that I never have to hear “what did you expect, this IS Oklahoma” ever again and instead hear “of course it was great, this is OKLAHOMA!”

:congrats: :congrats: :congrats:

Well said.

I guess I just expected more. I've been to several parades downtown and there wasn't anything more spectacular about this parade than the other ones we have down there. Not saying it was bad, guess I personally just wanted more. I love the turnout though and I love all the pics you guys took.

Well, that's two people that liked it... well worth the cost...

Travelok.com... centennial website... Oklahoma Today... wow! I don't know how anyone might have missed such wide publicity.

Well I really don't know what you expected... The parade had banner ads all over newsok and there was a special section in the paper on it with a huge ad. Perhaps you can enlighten us on how you would have done it so much better?

Here are my pics that I took from the corner of Reno and Robinson

Thanks goes out to the OCPD officers that were working the corner here. There was a report of a man with a long gun walking in the crowd and when we passed behind us they took him down. Turns out the gun was a sword but still glad to see that they were on there toes

First up one of KFOR camera guys

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0521.jpg

Eddie Sutton
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0520.jpg

Langston Marching Band
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0519.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0518.jpg


Oklahoma Macots
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0513.jpg

OSU rodeo club
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0504.jpg

Cat in the Hat and Morton
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0488.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0486.jpg

Curious Geroge
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0483.jpg

KOCO tv crew

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0476.jpg

The pride of Oklahoma marching band
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0456.jpg

Dressed up Llamas with no where to go
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0453.jpg

Bryan White
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0451.jpg


Pooper scooper someone had to do it lol
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0449.jpg

OCPD Horses
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0432.jpg

Governor and First Lady Brad Henry and is highway patorlmen

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0426.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0427.jpg

Oklahoma County, Oklahoma City Police and Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bikes
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0417.jpg

Mic Cornett
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0434.jpg

Stealth Fighter
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0414.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0413.jpg

OCPD Finest
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0412.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0407.jpg

Express Clydesdale's
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0447.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0446.jpg


Oklahoma County Horses
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0435.jpg


Last my kid and her nephew enjoying the parade
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0406.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/oSutrooper/parade/IMG_0507.jpg

Well I really don't know what you expected... The parade had banner ads all over newsok and there was a special section in the paper on it with a huge ad. Perhaps you can enlighten us on how you would have done it so much better?
Pay me what Lee Allan Smith & Co. are getting paid and I'll be happy to put a plan together.

The parade was HOKEY! I really, really tried to enjoy it. The only good performances were the OU band playing Boomer Sooner and the Langston band with the booty-shakin'.

There were some decent floats, but it lacked pizazz. Imagine how good the Latin group could have been? And what was up with the Native American float? What was that, anyway?

All in all, the Centennial planners could have made this more star-studded and more memorable. Frankly, the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade is more interesting.

Misty,

Your commentary is dead on! We are not ignorant dirt farmers any more. We have traveled and lived elsewhere and we have higher standards. We know good food and we know good entertainment. You should never have to apologize for calling it like it is. It's either great or it isn't, and we shouldn't handicap our commentary because it involves Oklahoma.

It's either a great parade or it wasn't, and frankly, it wasn't anywhere near a great parade. I've seen more magic at a circus in a big tent in a small town than that parade.

I'm really glad Halliburton and other corporate sponsors got to put their names on unimaginative floats, but that doesn't make for a magical moment. There was scant little magic in that parade. It seemed like something put together by a corporate fundraiser.

If Oklahoma is to become a great state in its next 100 years, we should let 'er rip: criticize mediocrity in food, governance, architecture and performance. It's either great or it isn't. Oklahomans need to get with it because as a state we have enormous potential, but it's going to take a change in attitude to realize our goals.

And by the way, the most overstated myth is that Oklahomans are friendlier people than people elsewhere. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have no trouble mixing with crowds of any kind but there were so many rude, trashy people at the parade it diminished our experience measurably. People were so rude I thought my mother in law was going to demand we leave before it started.

Want to meet some friendly people? Go to the upper midwest -- or even California!

The parade being so underwhelming sort of sums up this entire Centennial project. This

Ouch. Granted the parade was a bit cheesy, but still it was better than nothing. I do take issue with you saying that the "underwhelming" parade sumps up the entire Centennial project. The Centennial project has been great for Oklahoma City and I've enjoyed a great deal of the events they have put on.

Ouch. Granted the parade was a bit cheesy, but still it was better than nothing. I do take issue with you saying that the "underwhelming" parade sumps up the entire Centennial project. The Centennial project has been great for Oklahoma City and I've enjoyed a great deal of the events they have put on.
Well, that makes three of you... you, jbrown and Doug.

karlanee was spot on with her assessment.

Did you go, Pug? If so, and to give some semblance of balance, wasn't there anything that you liked about it?

As I said in an earlier post, I don't at all think that it was without problems. The long delays between stuff on the street (especially if you were well "down the line" as I was) weren't good at all and better planning might have helped with that. But, I don't know how that could have been solved where a group "stops" and performs for a time which results in a large gap.

It might also have been nice to have some sort of audio at various points so that the crowds could actually "hear" what was passing by.

That said, I really did enjoy it and if the pics I and others took don't show the reasons why, I don't guess that I can offer anything better.