Strong showing for Byron Days Parade

It was a banner year for the Byron Days Parade Saturday, with a strong showing of 37 entries – and plenty of thrown candy – delighting spectators.

Byron Days Committee chairwoman Rebecca Bates said she has been told that the only other parade to top the 2022 version was the parade when Byron celebrated its centennial year in the early 2000s with 88 entries.

Last year there were 27 entries, which was considered a good year, she said.

Due to highway construction through town on Main Street, the parade was run north and south on Center Street, and Bates said the reaction from spectators was favorable.

“We were concerned, but people actually liked it,” she said. “We’re considering doing it again next year. People liked being able to watch from the park, and the street was wide enough.”

It was announced initially that the parade would only run one direction, but the route was changed to down and back on Saturday.

Judged the winning parade entry Saturday was the Girls Scouts Through the Years float put together by Troop 1083 and featuring a variety of Girl Scout uniforms through the decades organized by Tia Phillips.

“It was really cute,” Bates said.

Second place went to Carl Jones of the Ralston Rejects and his parade of ponies. Jones and Edward Goffaux rode atop a small wagon, and several kids led the ponies through the parade route.