'Magic of Make Believe’ parades through Wellsville

WELLSVILLE — Fairy tales, cartoons, mythology and even board games came to life in Wellsville Saturday.

Armed with “The Magic of Make Believe” as a theme, parade entries stretched the bounds of imagination.

“It was very nice. It was one of the best parades I’ve seen,” Hazel Rew, Lawrence, said.

Rew, whose first husband has family in Wellsville, said she comes to Wellsville Days almost every year. Her favorite float was the “The Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe,” which captured first in the float competition for the Red Hat Floozys.

“They did a really good job,” Rew said.

The Small Wonders Preschool showed the world of the popular game “Candy Land,” which was good for second.

Smokey’s BBQ and Cafe’s entry, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” was third,  while “Veggie Tales” by the Wellsville United Methodist Church was fourth.

The creativity wasn’t left to just the humans.

Rocket, who was ridden by Abigail Perkins, donned wings and received an eighth place finish as Pegasus, the winged horse from Greek mythology.

The Tri County Riders, a group of riders from Franklin, Miami and Johnson counties, who perform drills for rodeos and other events, added colorful hearts, stars and spots to their horses and formed an old-fashioned carousel. The spinning ride finished in sixth.

The entries made it hard for some spectators to pick a favorite.

“It was all good,” Karsen Schultz, 9, Baldwin City, said.

Her little brother, Dawson, 6, didn’t have a problem picking his favorite entry. Although not an item of fiction, its size could be labeled “unreal.”

“The toilet,” he replied naming the giant commode entered by Heartland Plumbing, of Gardner, that drove up Main Street and stopped periodically with a flushing noise.

The children’s father, Jared Schultz, who teaches physical education and coaches boys basketball at Wellsville High School, agreed with his daughter about the parade and said he was pleased with the turnout.

“I liked it all,” Schultz said. “I’m just enjoying the day and seeing all the people come out and support Wellsville.”