St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman loves a parade. His office worked with Winter Carnival organizers to restore a version of Saturday’s Torchlight Parade, despite the bitter cold gripping Minnesota.
Citing the weather, carnival organizers announced this morning they would replace the traditional parade with a stationary event at Rice Park. That plan called for royalty-bearing buses to idle near the park while spectators walked past.
Later, Coleman’s office announced the parade would go on, although in a shortened form. The latest plan calls for a parade starting at 5th and Wabasha streets and ending at Rice Park.
“The mayor wants it to go on and be a mobile parade,” said Mary Huss, the carnival spokeswoman.
The current arctic blast prompted many carnival regulars to question going ahead with a traditional one-hour parade, Huss said.
“We’ve gotten emails saying, ‘You’ve got be crazy to do this. Why would you put people at risk?’ ” Huss said. On the other hand, some tried-and-true Minnesotans told officials that the parade must go on despite wind chill reports projected to reach 20 to 28 degrees below zero.
Huss said this morning she expected many of the 102 registered units to pull out of a stationary event. How many units will choose to take part in the newly announced shortened parade is unknown.
The parade will begin at 6 p.m.
The legend characters, including the Vulcans and royal family, should be on hand to greet visitors. Officials are encouraging the public to warm up at Landmark Center and other office buildings that will be opened for the event on Saturday and then cross the river for festivities on Harriet Island, the home base for this year’s carnival.
Planners are still going ahead with a Vulcan “dethroning” over Boreas Rex, which has been moved from Kellogg Park to Landmark Center. Fireworks over the riverfront will begin at 7:45 p.m.
Copyright 2007 Pioneer Press.
