Tartan Day Parade

It's that time of the year again, time for the best, and my absolute favorite, parade: Tartan Day Parade 2010!

Despite our piece of garbage mayor's order to take away the bread and circus from the masses (and by masses I mean me) by not allowing the parade to go its full route, and despite its smaller size--the doggy contingent alone, adorable as ever but barely there--the masses managed to enjoy the parade and snap a few (poor quality, as usual) pics:

Tartan Day Parade 2010

Tartan Day Log Parade 2010

Tartan Day Parade Doggy Contingent 2010

Tartan Day Parade 2010

Tartan Day Parade 2010

The last pic illustrates one of the best kept secrets about this parade. Just because the parade ends doesn't mean the music and the pageantry do, too. If you get a chance to attend make sure to position yourself at the finish line and I guarantee you will have a great time.

Tartan Day parade 2009

I'm all hopped-up on pipe band music because.....It's.Tartan.Day.Parade! My favorite-est parade of all the city parades.

What I absolutely love, and look forward to as much as the parade itself, are the impromptu "band duels" that can go on for quite a bit after the parade is over.

Enjoy:

Alan Cumming, the one in the middle in a brown suit, led this year's parade.

Pipe Bands

The doggy brigade.

Pipe bands having fun.