Good Old Days: the best of small town livin'
Jul. 22—"This is the best part!" shouted one sopping wet, tousle-haired boy said as he ran past me.
The end of the Good Old Days parade causes the crowd to spontaneously sort itself. Not into young and old, but into those who run gleefully toward the deluge from two fire department water cannons, and those who back up just far enough to keep their cameras dry. On this scorching hot, smoky day, the cool drenching was even more welcome than usual.
Good Old Days is an old-fashioned party that the community of St. Ignatius throws for themselves, gathering friends from far and near. Some come for class and family reunions, others plan their vacations around the weekend, because, well, it's a great tradition.
Things get rolling with a big ol' barbeque at the park, where if you aren't too stuffed already, you can finish the meal off with a morsel from the dessert baking contest. Then they mosey over to dance and twirl their tootsies off that night at the amphitheater, two-step, rock 'n roll, and a little Hokey Pokey thrown in.
Early Saturday morning gets about a hundred folks out for the Buffalo Run for everyone from seasoned distance runners to families with dogs and tots in strollers, with pancakes ready at the Senior Center when they are done. I think half the town went home to take a nap then, to get ready for the parade and crazy-fun afternoon.
But for the parade, the dog racing may be one of the biggest draws. It's an informal affair, made ever so much more so by the dogs themselves, who can't believe how many other dogs there are to hassle and sniff and be distracted by. Each dog's person has a different strategy for getting them to run the snow-fence gauntlet at full speed. Some throw a ball for them to chase, some call from the finish line. Many encourage their dogs by running with them, though this often slows the dogs down to keep pace with their two-legged friend. They all reach the finish line at some point, some in a straight line, others looping back to check out what's going on with the crowd at the starting line. All of them arrive to be greeted with loving hugs and the proud and heartfelt, "Good dog!"
The kids romp all afternoon, bouncing on big toys, getting wet again on the wet slide, and giving their earnest best in gunny-sack and foot races, and water balloon tosses, with winners awarded $5 on the spot. All the while many of the parents have retired to the nearby tent for the adult version of the cake walk — the beer walk. Both soon muster at the mudhole for the tug-of-war tourney, where no one seems to care who wins as long as everyone gets covered in mud. They clean up pretty nicely though, because they are taking their date to the drive-in movie that night.
Sunday's fly-in and breakfast is an opportunity to see each other one more time. The atmosphere is a little more restul, except for the pilots showing off their winged beauties as they buzz the breakfast tent.
"We take a couple weeks to recover," said one of the many downtown business owners who helps organize the whopper of a weekend every year. "But it's worth it. We love it."
So do I.
Good Old Days parade awards
Clubs/Organizations
1 — Class of 1981
2 — Lake County Sheriff's Office
3 — Class of 1970
Novelty Humorous
1 — CB Auto Sales
Commercial
1 — Allard's Stage Stop
2 — Stuarts Hometown Auto
3 — Valley Bank
Youth 12 and Under
Malt Shop
Farm Equipment
1 — Tim Orr -47 John Deer
2 — Lazy DC Bar
Custom Car
1 — '55 Chevy Bel Air — Leroy Morin
2 — '58 Ford — Gordon Schliep
3 — Road Runner — Coleman Hill
Antique Car
1 — '32 Ford Coup — Dennis Wheeler
2 — '37 Chevy — Pat Cable
3 — GMC 100 truck — Gene Posivio
Grand Prize
Allard's Stage Stop
Best Original Artwork
Stuart's Hometown Auto
