NORTH WEBSTER — The parade that accompanied the 74th rendition of the annual Mermaid Festival enjoyed sunny and warm weather that has been hard to come by in northern Indiana during the month of June. Saturday afternoon saw the sidewalks lining North Webster’s Main Street filled with delighted youngsters and their families, eagerly awaiting the parade of vehicles, marching bands and floats that celebrated festival.

The procession was led by members of the North Webster American Legion, which carried America’s colors forward through the parade route. They were followed by law enforcement and fire department vehicles representing many of the county’s finest departments.

Several high school marching bands, including the Marching Warrior Pride of Wawasee, performed their versions of many well known tunes. Floats created to carry each of the Queen of the Lakes contestants also made their way down the street, giving parade viewers a sneak peak at what was to come at the pageant that would take place later in the evening.

The hour-long parade naturally included numerous candy throwers, which delighted the kids who eagerly anticipated the entries that included tossers of the sugary treats. There was plenty to go around, as nearly every child walked away with a grocery bag filled with goodies.