Frigid weather for Saturday’s Shriners parade wasn’t the coldest ever for the popular January event. But, temperatures hovering in the mid-30s with a brisk breeze did not dampen the enthusiasm of a good-size crowd.
“It’s good every single year. I wouldn’t miss it,” said Jean Hunt of New Bern, who was seated alongside her daughter Cathy Curtis in front of the Bank of the Arts on Middle Street. They came prepared and bundled for the weather. Hunt said she learned that from experience.
“We’ve been to every one since 1980,” she said, waving through a bearskin-style blanket as each unit passed. “I remember one year it sleeted and we came. That’s dedication. I don’t know how they (Shriners) do it. They must be freezing.”
The crowd was not as large as some years, although it was several people deep on both sides of Middle Street from Pollock to East Front Street. Elsewhere, onlookers were seated in chairs and standing along Broad Street 45 minutes before the noon start.
Many of those who came did so to see sons, fathers and husbands participate in an hour-long procession of clowns, Keystone Kops, Hillbillies, musical groups and an array of miniature vehicles ranging from trucks, cars and boats to coolers with engines.
Upwards of 50 Shriners units participated in Saturday parade, coming from all over the Sudan territory of more than 40 counties.
One such unit is the Convertibles, a collection of 25 cars which transport the Shriner Divans and officials at the start of the parade.
Unit Director Charles “Skeeter” Trott of Southport said the group was formed in 1984, at first as a classic car unit. As members bought new cars, it transitioned into all ages of automobiles.
He said the cars range from a 1958 Chevy to his own 1968 Carolina blue Mustang to a 1972 Buick.
The unit has 25 member drivers and like other Shriner units, they participate in events like Saturday’s parade at their own expense.
“We own and maintain the cars. We cover a lot of other parades around the state, lots of Christmas parades,” he said, with more than a dozen public events each year.
“We don’t have a home base, we are from all over — Raleigh to Southport to New Bern,” he said. “It is tremendous fun.”
Because of the inclement weather late Friday, 15 of the cars appeared in the Saturday parade.
The crowd, responding to a longtime emcee John Moore, gave a hearty welcome when new Potentate Ken Bennett and his wife Juanita exited one of the Sudan Convertibles and made their way onto the reviewing stand on Middle Street. Bennett lives in Reelsboro and is the second potentate in the past eight years from Pamlico County, along with Tommy Boyd.
The crowd also gave a long and hearty cheer to the Marine Corps Band, which was a guest entry and led the parade.
Adam Gibbs, a Pitt County Sheriff’s Deputy, had the day off and early Saturday, he and his fiancé Tori Aeby decided to come to the New Bern parade.
“It was just a chance to get away for the day and we decided to check it out,” he said as they looked for a good place to watch the parade.
“And, we love shopping in downtown New Bern,” she said.
Megan Pace was curled in a chair on Middle Street, with blankets and coats. It was her first Shriners parade in New Bern. She came to see her dad Oscar, a member of the Sudan Racers.
“We came last night,” she said. “It rained and was freezing. There was ice on the bridges,” she said. “But, we were going to come, regardless.”
Eight-month-old Taytum Mills of Vanceboro also was a first-timer, coming with mom Ashley, dad John and Grandfather Cecil Rhodes.
John Mills is a four-year member of the Vanceboro Shrine Club 433. At age 33, he is one of the young members the aging Shriners are trying to attract.
“A friend of mine is in it and told me it was something great to get into, helping the children,” he said.
Charlie Hallcan be reached at 252-635-5667 or Charlie.hall@newbernsj.com.