On Saturday night, July 22, 2023 in front of families, kids of all ages and more, the 2023 Waterland Parade took place, marching north on Marine View Drive.
With close to 70 entrants, on a gorgeous summer day, the sun shined down on the smiling faces seen throughout downtown Des Moines.
Organized by Destination Des Moines, the parade was emceed by Ben Anderson and Dave Markwell, who wrote on his blog;
“I like things that stay and remind us of other times and our people from now and from then. I’ll be thinking about dad a little bit, as I remember sitting on his shoulders watching this parade many years ago. I’ll be thinking about other people, too, and other days in the sun with my hometown alive, its heart wide open. I like these days.
“Through life, many things change, maybe most things, but not all things. And, these things that don’t change and stick around as they’ve always been are good things to have. They connect us to things that can’t be lost- our people and the feelings of our time with them and the truth of what home feels like. And, once a year, it feels like a parade on a familiar street.”
VIDEO
Below is video highlights of the parade, as shot/edited by Scott Schaefer:
PHOTOS
Below are photos of the parade, courtesy David Rosen:
