we're here down town hall in for the two thousand and thirteen music put out it started out as a beautiful sunny day for about five minutes this morning and it is turned into a bit of a cold what they hear but people are making it sunny and bright aren't they need they are i've been trying to be chipper all morning long trying to encourage everybody to think positively about the weather the parade is just starting to come into view and folks have got their umbrellas out they've got their rain ponchos on their let's folks and we feel like we've got the best see the house and we are glad to be able to ring to you this incredible festival if you're watching at home right now sit back and relax because it's going to be a very enjoyable enjoyable show it is you if you're sitting at home you've probably got some of the best seats in the house you're probably warm dry get a nice cup of tea or coffee to enjoy the the great festival the great parade this parade goes on rain or shine you'll see many some of the premier bands if you were watching earlier you just saw them on earlier today what a delight it is to have something that talent here and people have traveled here on fire both in terms of participating in the parade and those that are out here watching we talked to couple from south we had a few that were from out of the country and it doesn't matter where you're coming from memorize your neighborhood tie that's right i've i'm always impressed with the number of people that show up and the people that regardless of what the weather is i talked to some folks from grand rapids this morning and i said you actually made the car trip here from grand rapids knowing what the weather was going to be like and they said it's to have time we want to be here for this festivity we're coming rain or shine we want to come see this parade rain or shine well and great rain or shine the people's spirits  years i can believe that people have been coming out in droves to enjoy the tulips the two have been absolutely spectacular this year almost all of them and then at the moment and actually a week ago hardly any of them in bloom they all popped up yesterday  everybody's had a chance to drive onto the plane you will not be disappointed even if you end up coming out sometime next week there are still to be money and you see this rain and cold weather is actually something good to look for love so they should be sticking around for quite a bit yet and they're followed by some of my good friends the tulip time festival board of directors this is a group of community volunteers who spend all your planning the festival there joined by some members of the tulip time staff they have worked countless hours to bring this great festival to you today brown was one of the league's premier hafetz of tackles blocking for one of the best running backs of all time barry sanders down the hall and high school dutch dancers and followed by the high school marching band division one ra and this is always a treat to see that they're the only band in the country that marches in wooden shoes and also remember you can text or vote for your favorite band you can text number five seven six eight two one if you want to vote for the holland high school band text a dutch to five seven six eight to league school is a consistent winner at the state fair championships i've got some great talent but all of the holland and the school different schools together this is the holland high school girls and swimming and diving team they were division two state champion ok that's right they're followed by the columbia central golden eagle marching band they're proud to be participating in the hall until the time for the sixty nine consecutive  well the red flannel they began in one nine hundred thirty nine the love pride and support of the community has kept the tradition of their red flannel and lumbering history alive red flannel that is held annually the last weekend of september the first issue maker followed by ambrose a through a time t shirt design bikes and roses a social enterprise aimed at helping students explore and fulfill their creative potential by day they function as a collaborative design and print lab by night they teach processes and skills be a hands followed by winning at home winning at home encourages people to lead christ centered lives they seek to do this through radio programming conference speaking books and other multimedia resources all designed to offer hope to individual you know that even though they're out there in it that it looks get might be called it might be raining they've all got big smiles on earth are waving for us as they go by that wonderful you know it's great how all of the different communities in this area come and participate in the bradley come to celebrate the the dutch heritage come to celebrate the community that we've got here it's great to have these folks from zealand out there is the selig wrapping up on the floats the former member of the two of time or that looks like they're there holding on tight those are the dancers from dutch dancers from the ceiling i school they're all there performing a little bit one of one of them actually has a jacket on yes and i can't really blame or i don't know if that's a supposedly officially allowed but five seven six eight two that's five seven six eight two texas zealot to have them be the people's choice award winners ahead there followed by representative fred upton fred upton u s congressman from southwest michigan great to see fred here it's and he has foregone the convertible to walk the entire parade route great to see him here will there is something big coming down the parade route wendy i'm not sure what that is i've i've not seen this one behind have either but they're big they're bold and they're very loud it's a grand rapids again another another group of hearty souls out there braving the wind in the weather but it does when it i'll tell you i think it's looking a little brighter outside i think the rain just another example of communities working together vietnam veterans of america's mission is to provide information and support the vietnam era veterans and all areas veterans organization wonderful little group marching they've got a group on the float wonderful to see that they've even got a float for the vietnam memorial wall honoring michigan zone vietnam veterans followed close behind by the holland department of public safety fire services officer of the year writing inside a beautiful red ford mustang driven by my son duncan these these guys drove all across the country teaching environmental projects and recycling to people all they're serious about sport and they love to twirl they do this is the freedom village flow freedom village is an elegant retirement community in beautiful downtown hall and offering active and independent living with a complete continuum of care at all with the peace of mind public speaking skills along with stage and public presence showcases talent provides the opportunity for public reporting the importance of community service enables young women to learn and value her own and others coming up with the governor's award this is the river raisin national battlefield park float the river raisin national battlefield park is located on lake erie in the southeast corner of michigan in monroe in january eighteenth thirteen a british battalion assisted by native american allies attacked the french town settlement along the river raising the settlement was the scene of fighting that occurred the largest loss of lives during the war of eighteen twelve this is stork site became a national park in two thousand  eighteen war of eight hundred twelve battlefield park in the united states the battle cry remember the raisin became a slogan that inspired the soldiers during the rest of the war which ended in eighteen fifty these are the west or neighbors there are local neighborhood groups find a better community her design to promote community awareness and good neighbors because i couldn't tell you either that's a wonderful ford and if you look closely you'll see the folks that are sitting in the cars are dressed in period clothing as well now this is the blue one i recognize that your stability no made my red one went by a little while ago mustangs are beautiful cougar almost that feel about it up to date locally on new stuff in the town i think it was red pigment that was dried i think it was in the pick up truck reds their morning person up another day another one of our great red cross vehicles they're not only their vehicles in the parade they have countless people up and down the parade route making sure people are safe taking care of any incidents that are along the way just another great example of the community coming together for the great to the time festival this is the america in bl we get the michigan apple queen courtney here and and part of her wonderful to see them here and it is windy it is brightening up out there yes you're getting a little bit of clearing that was a little bit of river and i think i think all of the umbrellas have been put away there's still a bit of a breeze out here this morning but folks are are starting to really get out there and dry the part i'm actually seeing dry pavement on the road so it may turn out to be a great for a day after all looks like it is the marine corps this is the marine corps called us marine corps color guard and i think followed closely behind them by the marine corps reserve toys for tots lake shore detachment services all of ottawa allegan and  buring county's choice for tots the cities in this area are grand haven holland and zealand hudsonville allegan and south haven last christmas season lakeshore toys for tots collected and distributed over twenty six thousand toys seven thousand children the west michigan area since the chapters formation it has collected and distributed over three hundred sixty five thousand toys to meet children in our local communities and they're followed by  the outdoor adventure retailers this is a relatively new work and they've got everything from bikes to kayaks campers to help make your books like anything you want to do in the outdoors they have it for you  followed by the salvation army band and the salvation army float this is i'm sorry this is the metropolitan youth band from chicago illinois also with the salvation army salvation army is an international movement jazz festival held in lincoln center this is our coast guard festival float ten day festival honoring the men and women of the u s coast guard the only official coast guard city grand haven michigan authorized by congress which hosts the united states coast guard national memorial service i can see him coming in the distance wendy that's the fennville high school blackhawk marching band remember you can text or go to any one of these bands the news the same number for every single band five seven six eight t festival for thirty three years in a row this is a huge  not is a great drug johnson controls as one of the big sponsors for the two of time festivals sponsor of the thursday parade which is the kinda parade that is an all green vehicle parade i know that first trip was loud king and queen that i believe are just around this past weekend they were they were the loop festival takes place usually over cinco de mayo weekend which is traditionally also the first weekend of tulip time and it's wonderful we blend those two festivals group that's here every single year always marching for the parade i'm always impressed with how realistic all of their uniforms and their rifles are and it looks like they're following closely behind by the ladies  top one rating at every marching festival that they have taken part in since nineteen fifty seven happy six years of straight top one rating is the city of how an international relations commission the mission of the whole international relations commission is to promote international and cross cultural knowledge awareness understanding and sensitivity through interactions within the community and we've got the remax lecture me they've got their balloon in the air and it looks like that's tied down yeah keeping that in place in the windy afternoon but i'll tell you when we tell you what if the weather has turned banking trusts and investment services they're followed by the disabled american veterans this able to merican metric veterans motto is building better lives for america's disabled veteran and not only have the marchers they've got the disabled american veterans commander from chapter fourteen right here in holland michigan driving a beautiful cadillac and we've got them back in time a seventh and eighth grade band you can vote association serves the lake shore building industry from muskegon down to south haven june thirteenth through twenty second join them for their west michigan lake shore parade a home if you'd like to win the playhouse on the floats visit them at two eleven lincoln st i think they're ready to start mixing it up for sale right out on the street that's the biggest loaf of bread i think i've ever seen and there followed by the ready to school ready for school flow ready for school is a broadly based holland zealand hamilton initiative ensuring that every child enters kindergarden prepared to succeed looks like they've got a giant the little kid is having a great  next step is the poll asking days organization vehicle last few days just celebrated forty years in west michigan their current alaskan a queen miss caitlin roberts and her court member miss katie  and summer coalition has twenty six locations throughout west michigan in northern indiana where the state's largest family owned mulberry shop collision center with two holland locations and obviously a beautiful pick up truck and we've got the reliable the float that won the mayor's award for the two of time festival this is the holland high and how interesting the first robotics float looks like they've got their next up is miss wheelchair michigan linda hyde and to text vote that for the top winner and then we've got a chance march like they participated to a time for the last nine years demonstrating next coming into view is camp geneva camp geneva is a christian camp located on one quarter located on the shores of lake michigan offering day camp for grades one through four overnight camp for grades five through twelve where kids and gage in viable study worship swimming hiking kayaking rock climbing crafts and more visit camp geneva dot org for more info videos and photos can geneva more than a week for life this is the holland christian sixth grade band text about h m c said this group is comprised of six grade students from both rosa parks christian school and pine ridge christian school again good to see all of the horses and near the tail end of the parade that is amazing press that are in their yard they can come and take care of those for you multiple locations it is a little chilly the crowds are thinning and just a little bit as we're getting closer to near the end of the parade that we've got quite a bit of the parade to go yet and coming into view are our friends from wood t v eight twenty four hour news eight anchors brian serling there followed by pathways above the influence you coalition developing leadership skills to encourage peers to make decisions that have a positive impact on themselves and the community and it looks like there better has been a subject to the wind that's out here twelve sixty the pledge survival skills for everyday living other some beautiful horses next year we started out with a great weekend last saturday and sunday great britain a monday great freedom when the third and on thursday and i'll tell you another fantastic for it it has and the incredible home here that we have with helen television and all of what the city has done to help bring this to you know we are grateful for them as well one and thank you wendy for being here today and help and make this parade a great success for all those people sitting