Viking Fest parade | Photo gallery

POULSBO — The 2017 Viking Fest parade on May 20 was a v-e-e-e-r-r-r-r-y long parade. With the huge crowds, I thought it would be simpler to walk down to Front Street from the Sound Publishing offices in Poulsbo Village.

Smart idea. People were everywhere and parking spaces were nil.

Officer David Shurick, who was directing traffic and pedestrians at 4th Avenue and Iverson Street along with Officer Jeremy Robinson, said he had seen750 to 1,000 people cross his intersection already. And that was an hour before the parade was scheduled to start.

When I reached Front Street, I took up station in a shady spot on the front lawn of the Quilt Shoppe across from the Sons of Norway Lodge. Beatrice Marx, the owner of the shop, was not only kind enough to let people sit on her lawn, she allowed folks to sit on the front porch and steps, too.

“It’s a family, a community event,” Marx said when I asked her why she did it. “And it’s a sunny day, so we have everything today,” she said while showing me the Viking pattern quilts she had designed for the event.

It was a hot day, too.

At the Maritime Museum next door, they were joking that they could have done box office business if they sold water and suntan lotion.

Actually, there were folks going up and down the street in a golf cart, selling water and drinks — mostly to people on the sunny side of the street whohadn’t had the foresight to arrive early and stake out the shade.

At 2:30 p.m., at last, the parade arrived at our location. People applauded Grand Marshal Ardis Morrow and the marching Marines and sailors who followed her. The motorcycle riders with their horned helmets were a hit, too. Many folks saluted or put their hands on their hearts when the color guards — and there were many — went by.

After about 20 minutes, I got the idea that it might make more interesting photos if I walked down the street in the opposite direction to the parade, so that I could have different buildings and people in the background of my photos.

Big mistake.

The parade went on and on and on. There were enough queens and princesses to rule all of Europe. Enough dragon-headed Viking long ships to invade England. Surely every church, marching band, community organization and school and —well, you get the idea — was there.

It was truly a community effort.

I walked all the way through town, through old town, past Liberty Bay Marina and there were still more floats and decorated vehicles. Then the parade doubled back up 6th Avenue. Finally, I saw the horses and I knew the end was near. For obvious reasons, nobody except the guy with the shovel wants to follow the horses or elephants (not that there were any of the latter).

Then I got to walk all the way back again.

But it was worth it.

Poulsbo may be getting bigger, folks, but it’s still a family affair.

— Terryl Asla is a reporter for Kitsap News Group. He can be reached at tasla@soundpublishing.com.