One of the things that I really liked about living in Minnesota for seven years was the opportunity to see lots of small town parades. At the church that I served in Edina, the local parade on the 4th of July always came right by the side of the church buildings. The church sign extended an invitation to all: “Exercise your freedom to worship here on Sunday.” There were fire trucks, marching bands, veterans in old military vehicles, and, of course, politicians waving, smiling, and shaking hands. It was awesome. As the saying goes, everyone loves a parade. And it was just long enough for our family to enjoy before heading off to a cookout. This photo is actually of a Memorial Day parade in Excelsior and was taken only a week before we began our road trip from the North Star State to the Lone Star State:

Independence Day, as we all know, will bring with it parades of all sizes “from sea to shining sea.” There’s also the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City and the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena. Parades of every kind are this week’s haiku theme. Whether you prefer the small town versions, like I do, or somewhat more elaborate productions, tell us about your memories — good, bad, indifferent, whatever — in one verse with five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second line, and five syllables in the third line. Here’s what came to mind for me:

Lots of waving flags,
marching bands. Small town parades
are simply the best.