Parkville Fourth of July Parade. My vote goes to the cars!

Small town Fourth of July parades.  Blech.  Basically you just sit in the heat with a bunch of other sweaty people, and watch an endless stream of politicians pass out their junk mail.  Why does anyone want to go to these?

But then, every once in awhile, something shows up that makes it worthwhile.  Usually it's some sort of Veterans' salute, or maybe a moving color guard display.  And, if you can make it through the trailers full of dance and karate students, a neat car or truck will usually appear to break up the monotony. 

As supportive members of our community, our family usually make it to the Parkville Fourth of July Parade every year.  And as usual, I sat there and took pictures to share with you.  Of course, I didn't take pictures of everything, just of things that may be of some kind of automotive interest.

There were two car clubs represented--the Miatas and the Mini Coopers.  Neither one of those scream "USA!  USA!"  But at least they participate and keep coming back.  You can tell this is a fun event for car clubs like these.

My favorite car was a blue '54 Chevy 210 two-door sedan that was there to promote the Parkville monthly cruise nights.  It was a good looking little car, and ran right down the street just as happy as you please. If that car does show up at the next cruise night, I'm definitely going to take a few more pictures of it.

Other notable entries included a red '67 Chevelle that was promoting the Rotary Club, a surprisingly nice '85 Cavalier convertible, a great '50 Chevy pickup, and a ubiquitous Model A Ford.

There were also a couple of notable Volswagens, including a VW Bus that was sharply painted with the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine scheme, and a very appealing '56 Beetle that carried the sign of "Ralph Spoilsport Motors," which appears to be the personal blog of Earl Osburn.  I haven't had enough time to go through it very closely yet, but I'm always open to support a fellow local blogger--especially one that likes cars.

Old fire trucks are a part of any good parade, and this one was no exception.  From a giant hook-and-ladder truck to a couple of classy smaller units, there was a good supply of red paint and gold leafing rolling down main street.  When it comes to parade duty, those big old fire trucks never let their owners down.

You do not have to sit in the heat, and you do not have to suffer through the riff-raff.  You can see all the cars, and nothin' but the cars, in the slideshow below.

Or, for a better version of this slideshow, click this link.