As the green-hued parade marched through downtown Mansfield on Saturday, 4-year-old Amanda Wooten and her aunt watched through the large window and in the relative quiet of the Frosted Pink Cake Company.
“I liked the clowns in the little cars,” she said, recharging with a grape soda, a pastry and, in keeping with theme of the day, a good-sized pickle. “It’s sour.”They were among the thousands who turned out for the second annual St. Paddy’s Pickle Parade and Palooza, billed as both a family-friendly St. Patrick’s Day party and an homage to homegrown pickle producer Best Maid Products, which was founded in Mansfield 87 years ago and ships out 50 million pickles a year.“I think it’s setting a tone for Mansfield as a fun-loving place,” said Ann Smith, one of the 17 Pickle Queens who organized the event. They donned red wigs and queenly garb and rode in the parade, throwing beaded necklaces into the crowds. “It’s weird enough,” Smith added, “but not Austin’s weird.”The turnout appeared to be much larger than last year’s estimated attendance of around 5,000. Police estimated the crowd to be from 7,500 to 10,000 this year.Saturday’s parade had 76 entries, up from 54 entries last year, and lasted more than an hour, winding through downtown streets.This year’s event had several new features, including vendors -- 47 of them, offering food, games and public relations for several organizations, churches and businesses.Also new was the children’s area, with bounce houses and games. The event kicked off Friday evening with a band at Steven’s Garden and Grill and a free movie at the Farr Best Theater, both downtown.Another change: instead of having everyone crowd into Steven’s patio for the after-parade party, the festivities were moved out into Smith Street, where a stage was set up for three bands. The crowd was still thick as they milled about, lining up for hot dogs and funnel cakes, getting faces painted and competing in pickle-eating and pickle juice-drinking contests.“It’s awesome,” said 9-year-old Natalie Garcia. “I liked that they were throwing necklaces and giving out candy and stuff like that.”Many Mansfield city officials and community leaders also see the St. Paddy’s Pickle Parade, and its success at getting people to the city’s historic downtown, as another economic development tool. The downtown hosts major festivals, and the city recently created a special taxing district to generate revenues to build infrastructure and other incentives for private investment and development.City Councilman Stephen Lindsey, who ran in the 10-kilometer Pickle Palooza race, said the parade and other events create a sense of community and give local businesses an opportunity to get involved.And it can put Mansfield on the minds of visitors, he added. “If they’re here and having a good time, they might think, ‘Hey, I want to move to Mansfield.’”Robert Cadwallader, 817-390-7641Twitter: @KaddmannHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
