Pirate ship in parade

Shrimp Festival 2009 began last week on Amelia Island and kicked off as usual with the Thursday evening parade.  Lasting more than an hour, it seemed everyone and every organization on the Island played a part.  This year’s theme was “Home-Grown Shrimp:The Pick of the Liter”.  Participant’s included police/fire vehicles, city officials, Miss Shrimp pageant contestants, Shriners, service clubs, dance schools, marching bands, sea turtle protectors, karate clubs, and of course the Pirate ship and pirate’s with guns and cannons blazing.  William’s house guests have a front row seat on both the lower and upper front porches as the parade passes down Ash street beside the Inn.  People come from miles around and line the streets.  Parade participants give out candy and beads and other souveniers.  The earliest of the crowd arrived 90 minutes before the parade started and by 6 pm it was standing room only!   Parades here are a local tradition and we have one every 8 weeks or so, but the Shrimp Festival tops them all.  It’s a great small town experience and if you live on Amelia Island you are bound to see many a neighbor participating.

Unique Shrimps on parade