Marching in the Seafair Torchlight Parade
Posted by glennled on August 4, 2010
Parade photos by Elliot Suhr, seattlepi.com
It’s only about 2.5 miles from the Space Needle to Qwest Field along the route of the Seafair Torchlight Parade, but if you’re in the parade, near the end, it takes many hours to get there. That’s what I learned last Saturday, when several other members of the Husky Alumni Band and I mixed in with the UW Varsity Marching Band to play our music along the parade route through downtown Seattle. The obvious enthusiasm and pleasure of the hundreds of thousands of spectators of all ages who 
lined the streets made the whole event very fun for us all. And the weather was perfect. Oh, what a night!
There were Seafair pirates and a police motorcade and firemen and floats and clowns and drill teams and a queen and Hawaiian princesses and military bands and school bands and cheerleaders and–you-name-it! Our band was #81 of 105 groups in the parade. Fourteen awards were presented to the best and most creative entries. 
The parade was sponsored by Alaska Airlines.
The UW band was big, although not full size, which you’ll see as soon as football season starts next month. About 18 of us trumpeters came for the parade. If you ever have a chance to be in the parade, don’t turn it down…it’s so much fun!
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- Parade photos by Elliot Suhr, seattlepi.com
Glenn's Trumpet Notes 
Leslie said
That is awesome that you got to participate. My niece was also in the parade, marching with the North Queens Drill Team. Sounds like a long walk from what you both have said.
glennled said
Oh, it was only about 2.5 miles, but there are still a few potholes in some Seattle streets, which makes it tough on an old trumpeter’s lips! The hardest thing was hanging around for hours, waiting for our turn in the parade…we were #81 of 105. At one point, I was sure I would never do that again, but when it was over, I’d changed my mind because it was so much fun watching the joy on peoples’ faces as we marched by, playing songs they remember and like. Hope your neice enjoyed it a lot, too, and will be back next year.