​Massive crowd turns out for mammoth parade at Ripley Reunion

It was perfect weather for a parade Saturday, as a massive crowd turned out for the mammoth, hour-long Ripley Reunion parade.

Led by the reunion committee float, the Ripley Reunion ambassador, her fellow contestants, and former reunion ambassadors, the parade marched from east of the village, south along Melville Lane to Jessie Street, across to Huron Street, up to the four-way stop and down Queen Street to the reunion grounds.



The Ripley Reunion Parade wends its way through downtown Ripley, Saturday

It featured about 100 entries, including numerous floats by local families, and three pipe bands – the Kincardine Scottish, Teeswater Highlanders and Clinton Pipes and Drums - as well as floats representing businesses, corporations, and organizations from Ripley and the surrounding area.

The Shriners were on hand, in their convertibles, mini-bikes, and Desert Rat dune buggies.

The parade included antique cars and trucks, teams of horses, politicians, large farm equipment and transport trucks.



The Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band in the parade

A number of floats used water guns and water balloons to help cool down the crowd, and at one point, as the Ripley Wolves float made its way past the four-way stop, an orchestrated “fight” broke out between new general manager Mike Howes and captain Garrett Meurs.

Also on Saturday, were the Ripley Lions famous beef-on-a-bun, the children’s foam party, kids’ road hockey, historic walking tour of Ripley, tug-of-war, and Beer Garden Olympics. The day ended with a chicken dinner hosted by the Ripley Agricultural Society, the seniors’ dance to TNT Boom, and a Retro Night dance to Highway 21.



The Teeswater Highlanders Pipe Band in the parade

Sunday, featured the volleyball tournament, children’s inflatables, community church service, Hypno Steve, another historic tour of Ripley, the Cornhole tournament, and the Shirt Tail Dance with Upside of Maybe.

Monday events include the Baby Crawl, Cozy Coupe Race for Kids and the Bed Races downtown, and the Beard-Growing and Mullet Competition in the beer gardens. The reunion ends with fireworks at dusk.

For more information, check the website at www.ripleyreunion.ca.



The Clinton Pipe and Drums in the parade



The Bruce Shriners mini-bikes in the parade



Team Farmall of Teeswater performs along the parade route