Week 14: Cincinnati Reds Opening Day Parade

Cincinnati lays claim to having the first professional baseball team in the country. As a matter of some tradition - and for decades since (well until fairly recently) - the first pitch of every major league season would occur in Cincinnati to officially ’kickstart’ the sport’s long slog to the World Series in November.

Opening Day - as it is called - has become an unofficial public holiday in Cincinnati, and since 1920 Findlay Market has organized an extravagant parade which winds its way from the market, through the city to Fountain Square, where an all-day party erupts.

Dressing in red and white is almost mandatory

With the missus holed up at work (despite a nasty cold), I walked by myself to stake a spot on Race Street near Washington Park to be entertained by this year’s event. I met up with some friends from out of town who were visiting with their two young kids. None of whom had witnessed the vibrancy, colourful exuberance and fun of this particular parade.

Go Reds!

It was my tenth parade in 11 years and, as is often the case with such familiarity, there are certain floats you anticipate and expect to make a showing. I was not disappointed. 

No parade is complete without a good marching band or three

The Police motorcycle squad, fire engines, trash trucks, clowns on stilts, marching bands galore, flag corps, bicyclists, rollerskaters, Segways, HUGE inflatables, dressed-up dogs (some on skateboards) , Clydesdale horses and the omnipresent lawnmower display team (No, not making that up). Personally, I always give the biggest cheers and applause to the people - armed with shovels and buckets - who walk behind the horses. Whatever they pay those people, it’s not enough.

The Lawnmower Men

Of course there are also entrants who (IMHO) ruin the parade. I’m all for free speech but lets prohibit all politicians from using the event to further their ambitions can we? What do they hope to achieve? All they do is stink the place up.

Oriental Wok rides in style

And more caustically, anyone who plans to walk the parade playing bagpipes (the incumbent devil of musical instruments) should have their application revoked instead of subjecting us all to their incessant whiny tuneless noise.

The author demonstrates the correct way to listen to bagpipes

Despite whooping and whoo-ing at all the floats, the kids eventually got bored - the parade lasts for 2+ hours, consequently there is definitely an ‘endurance factor’ —  so we packed up our folding chairs and ‘stuff’ and fought our way through the remaining crowds back to our building.

A view from the seventh floor - photo courtesy Kathy Schwartz

The parade remains one of Cincinnati’s very best “Free Things to Do” each year. Unless you don’t like bagpipes or politicians.

The Findlay Market Opening Day Parade happens yearly at the start of baseball season. Cincinnati Reds Opening Day is an unofficial holiday in Cincinnati.