2012 Lorain International Festival and Parade

I already told you about how my weekend started, with me helping Lisa walk the puppies!  Well, the fun didn't stop there.  This was the weekend of Lorain's International Festival.  We are huge fans of this festival and I have to give it to the city this year.  This was a fabulous festival!!

I had posted a bunch of pictures over on our Lorain 365 blog so make sure you go over here to see pictures of the festival and go here to see pictures of the parade. 

Ron and I headed over on Saturday for lunch.  Last year, my friends Ruth and Jeff had come in for the festival.  Unfortunately, this year they couldn't make it and I do have to say, it wasn't the same without y'all.  But, we did try to make sure you were talked about and thought about while we were there.  I even ate extra for the both of you, and you'll be happy to know, you enjoyed EVERYTHING I ate!!  That's just the kind of friend I am.

First you have to walk up and down and try to decide just what you want to eat.  I had changed my mind a half of a dozen times and still picked something at random.  I first went to look at the Chinese booth.

Ok, not what I expected.  Actually, it wasn't Chinese lemonade as the actual Chinese food was at the booth next to this one.  I guess they just added lemonade as a side business.  It made for a good chuckle though.

Down and dirty to the food.  I don't know why but I seem to make a beeline for the Greek food.  I grabbed me a souvlaki:

The picture didn't come out great but let me tell you, the sandwich WAS great!  I would have taken an "after" picture but all you'd have seen was shiny tin foil.  I licked that sucker clean when I was done!

Ron went for the gyro and I know he wasn't disappointed.

And, we got a couple of stuffed grape leaves in honor of Edna!  They weren't as good as your Mom's, but they didn't go to waste!

 
That should have been a good lunch, but after walking around, we had to try tome Filipino food for dessert.

I had to hurry to snap the picture as poor Ron was salivating here!  On the left is one of our favorite things, lumpia.  The far right is some mango juice and in the middle towards the back is the weirdest thing I've seen at the festival.  I don't know what the name of it is, but on the bottom of that cup is some beans.  Like garbanzo beans, lima beans, then crushed ice, topped with a little bit of blue ice cream and a cherry.  Weird.  Ron ate every bite (less the cherry, that was mine!).  Weird.  I also grabbed a couple of bags of fresh kettle corn for home. YUM!

They had an awesome cut out that people were lining up to take pictures in.  Ron took a much better picture than I did.  I didn't put my face in there far enough.  But, it was fun!

In the good news/bad news catagory, I did pass by the funnel cake.  I just stopped by long enough to snap a picture.  I usually take at least one of these babies but I was a good girl.   mmmm I can taste it now!

Before you think I'm too good with my diet, I did stop Sunday at Kiedrowski's bakery on the way out for a sweet roll!  One of my favorite things in LIFE and I can't tell you the last time I had one!  OMG it was worth blowing a diet for that one sweet roll!  Then again, the lady working the counter said not to worry, she had taken all of the calories out of that sweet roll for me.  Is that customer service or what!!   I should have taken two of them!

Sunday, Lisa and I talked about heading to the parade to get some pictures for our Lorain 365 blog.  We staked out a good place to take pictures on the corner of West Erie Avenue and Broadway and like a little kid, I thoroughly enjoyed the entire parade!  My only downside was that I didn't think about being out in the sun that long and right now my forehead is peeling!  Not an attractive look for me, for sure!

So, we were at the parade and we were ready.  First, I snapped a picture for my friend Georgia who makes my blog an internationally read blog!  From our world to yours, Hi, Georgia!

Before the parade started, the streets were closed down in preparation for the parade.  There was an MC down on a microphone by City Hall.  One of the coolest things is this MC had the crowd going by having them dancing in the street!  How often do you get to dance in the middle of the street in front of City Hall?  Way too cool.
 

 One of the first attractions of the parade was the fire department, Station 1.  Personally, I love these guys, but I digress.  It was a hot day, we were at the end of the parade and people in the parade were tired by the time they got to us.  These guys however, were still full of mischief!  The guys on the truck were playing with some super soakers!  They were dousing the crowds and seemed to be a big hit.   That was fun!

The featured people for this year's festival are the Filipino people.  As stated above, we checked out their booth and they had a gorgeous float in the parade.

One of the best entrants into this parade was the Ohio State School for the Blind.  For real!  In a marching band!  The music was wonderful!  I thought it was kind of funny that the School for the Blind was playing "Eye of the Tiger" though.  The kids were marching in line and each of them had an assistant if you will that helped the musicians stay in line and where to turn.  It was really an awesome sight and they were wonderful to listen to.

Then, just some things I liked at the parade.  This Mexican Princess has the most beautiful gown, the pictures don't do her justice.  I saw her walking around the festival after the parade and I should have asked her to pose for a picture for me.  She was a breath taking young lady.

Who doesn't love a clown?  Especially one who is walking their duck!

Then from the files of "I don't get it", we have these guys.  Not sure what they have to do with the International Festival but whatever.

And lastly, another I don't know why they are there, but you gotta love a Tickle me Elmo car!

After the parade, we walked down to the festival and I had to hit the Mediterranean booth for some Bourbon Chicken wraps.  OMG!  Then the Russian booth for some potato pancakes.   Damn, they weren't my potato pancakes but they were mighty tasty.

Good food, good fun, good friends.  It was a great weekend for a festival.  Trust me on this, if you've never been to the International Festival, mark your calendars and make sure you go next year.  If you've been there before, go back.  You'll see me there, probably standing in line for food with my camera in my hand!