Kazoos, flags, hot dogs on tap for Island beach parade

A walk down the beach on South Padre Island is always full of surprises and adventure.

But the one planned for Saturday, the Fourth of July, is not an ordinary walk-it's a parade, organizer Jacky Conrad said.

"Come by Beach Access 21 at the end of Cora Lee Drive and sign up for the parade between 9 and 9:45 a.m.," she said. "The sign-up is so we can tell later, when we plan for next year's parade, the people came from to participate in this one. I'm sure we'll have people joining us after we start the parade at 10."

Everyone will get a free U.S. Flag to wave, she said, and red-white-and blue beads to toss. Kazoos will be provided for members of what she called a kazoo marching band.

The parade will proceed south on the beach to Beach Access 17 at the end of Jupiter Lane. Dogs are welcome, Conrad said.

"At the end of the parade, that's when all the fun and games happen," she said. "There will be a turtle crawl. Kids will crawl to the edge of the water. We'll have a tug-of-war contest and a bean bag toss."

Dean and Alderwoman Alita Bagley will provide free watermelon, Conrad added.

Then at noon a hot dog eating contest will begin, with hot dogs provided by Benny's By The Bay.

Conrad credited Nancy Marsden with the idea for the parade. "After that people started volunteering and things began falling into place," she said.

The planning committee that organized the parade and the activities were, besides Marsden and Conrad, Ann Smith, Alita Bagley, Anne Weiss, Ann Arendarczyk, and Mary K. Hancock. The South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce donated cash.