Edison parade shines again with Bayshore Cloggers dancing after Ian setback

After months of rehearsing and building, it was finally parade time for The Bayshore Cloggers.

Eleven-year-old Jayla Rossi couldn’t wait to step onto their colorful, carnival-themed float and show off her sweet dance moves during Saturday’s Edison Festival of Light Grand Parade in Fort Myers.

“It’s fun!” said the Bayshore Elementary fifth grader as she waited for the parade to leave the Fort Myers High School stadium. “I’m excited for it.”

This was Rossi’s third time dancing in the parade with Bayshore Elementary School's dance team, and she said she loves seeing the crowd respond to the routines she and her friends have been rehearsing for months.

“They’re smiling,” Rossi said. “They’re recording. Cheering. They’re dancing. They’re clapping along. … It’s exciting!”

Edison Fest history: 50 illuminating facts about the Fort Myers tradition

Edison Fest Grand Parade: Everything you need to know about the Fort Myers event

The 85th-annual parade started rolling at about 7 p.m. Saturday, traveling with about 150 parade units from the school to downtown Fort Myers.

The crowds lining the street did indeed cheer, clap and wave as The Bayshore Cloggers clogged energetically to the Britney Spears song “Circus," “We Go Together” from the movie “Grease" and other tunes.

They also responded enthusiastically to everything else there was to see in the annual parade, including LCEC’s giant light-bulb balloon, fire trucks, antique military vehicles, marching bands, floats, a monster truck, local celebrities and even a big group of people doing Mexican folk dances in feathered Aztec headdresses and other traditional costumes.

The parade is a longtime tradition for many of the people who jammed the sidewalks − sometimes five or six rows deep − along Cleveland Avenue and through downtown Fort Myers.

“I’ve been coming since my kids were little,” said parade watcher Michelle Garcia of Cape Coral. “My daughter’s 21 now.”

Her husband, Randy Garcia, said he loves the annual event, too. This will be his third time attending.

“The whole community gets together,” he said. “That’s the best thing about it.”

Bayshore Cloggers rally after Hurricane Ian setback

For The Bayshore Cloggers, that magical moment almost didn’t happen at all. Blame Hurricane Ian, which badly damaged their original float and forced the all-volunteer team to work double-time to rebuild.

“It was pretty gut-wrenching,” said clogging director Courtney Brown. “It was a terrible feeling to think we had to start over from basically nothing.”

A determined group of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends of Bayshore Elementary students all rallied and got it done.

“We did all come together,” said parent Hillary Klos of North Fort Myers. “I think it’s about the kids. They needed this, I think, to make them happy again.”

It’s hard to be sad when you’re laughing and clogging with your friends, 11-year-old Rossi said.

She and the other 30-or-so dancers poured out buckets of energy Saturday on their carnival-themed float with its twinkling lights and spinning, tinsel-covered Ferris wheel. That’s the whole point, after all.

“They always say, ‘Be sassy!’” Rossi said and grinned. She was happy to comply.

Parade watcher Ken Statza said he was glad The Bayshore Cloggers were participating in the parade. They’ve been a part of it for 34 years, and he always looks forward to seeing them.

“It wouldn’t be the same without’em,” the Fort Myers resident said.

The Edison Parade: An annual tradition lives on

Saturday’s parade featured 17 high-school marching bands, about 30 floats and a lot more. Most of the parade units were illuminated with lights in honor of the parade’s namesake, legendary inventor and Fort Myers winter resident Thomas Edison.

Statza and his wife, Laura, staked out their seats early on Llewellyn Drive to watch the parade. They’d volunteered for years with the parade, but this was one of the few times they've been able to watch as spectators.

“We like the floats, the beautiful floats, the costumes,” he said. “There’s a lot of color. A lot of pretty people dress up.

“It takes hundreds, maybe thousands of people to get this thing going. So we appreciate that.”

Brown of The Bayshore Cloggers said she’s relieved the dance team was able to take part this year after their hurricane-related setback. It wasn’t easy getting the float done after losing a month’s worth of work, she said, but the parade was too important of a tradition to skip.

“We did it,” Brown said. “Because we always have. And it came together, and it looks beautiful.”

Connect with this reporter: Charles Runnells is an arts and entertainment reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. Email him at crunnells@gannett.com or connect on Facebook (facebook.com/charles.runnells.7), Twitter (@charlesrunnells) and Instagram (@crunnells1). You can also call at 239-335-0368.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Edison Festival of Light Grand Parade shines again in Fort Myers