I was going to sign on and write about this week in the life of H&D. And it involved a bunch of cool things, like a 5-course beer dinner -- in which each course incorporated pork -- with Vincent Heavenly Pies & Pasta (which was, by all accounts, heavenly), and a Ballots and Beers event at the taproom, and a beer-cheese pairing with Welsh Rabbit Cheese Bistro at the Forge Publick House and an amazing 8-course dinner at Jordan's Floral Gardens to benefit The Growing Project (and in which #WhistleBlastHoneyBrown was used both in and as a pairing for The Kitchen's dessert). All of these things were lovely and tastybeer-accented and therefore, of course, stellar. But what I really want to write about here is the tiny window we got on the CSU 100th Homecoming Parade during its set-up on Friday. We happened to have a blood tie to someone who was co-chairing it (and you may have chatted with her over the bar in the taproom), so we signed on for a volunteer time slot of 1-4pm. We didn't get to stay to see the parade, because we had been neglecting the taproom (though Abby and Trina had it all under control when we got back here). Even without watching the marching/performances, seeing all these groups and volunteers and students rally around downtown to celebrate CSU and seeing how much the city of FoCo does to accommodate this parade is moving. Our daughter transferred to CSU. I'm pretty close to 100% sure they don't have a homecoming parade at the school she initially attended , but I'm DEFINITELY sure it doesn't have a club that puts in entries like this:
There were plenty of other typical parade entries -- the university marching band (which I'm ever so sorry to have missed), the cheerleaders and dancers of all ages, and the floats.
A couple of typical FoCo scenes -- a track team (?) getting in its run before the parade, and a golden riding by in style observing the hoopla.
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There were t-shirts making political statements and those welcoming alumni back to town and to campus:
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It was a gorgeous Colorado fall day. Almost everyone handled the various road closures with good grace (there were a few notable exceptions to this of people who really could have used an attitude-adjusting fresh tasty craft beer, but by and large, people dealt). We walked away with a feeling of immense gratitude to all the people who made the parade possible -- from the university founders to the current day administration, from the student groups to the community ones, from the businesses and people whose parade-route entrances and parking lots were inaccessible for several hours to the folks who turned out to volunteer, and to the parade organizers and watchers. Where else has a downtown parade for its local university's homecoming that involves a horse with a ram's head painted on it, pint-sized baton twirlers, a respite care foundation float, a ROTC unit, and a Grand Marshal like Amy Van Dyken Rouen? Nowhere else, that's where. For a bourgeoning city of 150,000 and growing, there sure is a fabulous small-town close-knitted-ness and appreciation for life in this place. Go Rams!
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