Small Town Celebrations

There's nothing like a country celebration, put on by a small town, to kick off the beginning of summer! I drove down the road a bit to Leona Valley for their annual Cherry Festival, which they have every June. Although the theme is all about cherries, last year the farms were out before the festival began due to the drought! This year was a different story, the cherry farms started selling a few weeks before the festival and cherries were in plentiful supply! The drought isn't over but at least water levels are up and things are beginning to return to normal. The Cherry Festival itself began with cowgirls and pageant queens from all over the valley on horseback and in wagons. There were young and old alike on fancy cars and classic vehicles, all decorated to the hilt. Of course you can't have a parade without a marching band and music of some sort, and Leona Valley did not disappoint. There were even several groups of caballeros on beautiful prancing horses! Bringing up the rear were fire engines, forest service trucks, and a couple of police vehicles, all with lights and sirens running for the enjoyment of the little ones. Vendor booths, live bands, and barbecues were the main attractions after the parade. The day began getting hotter by the hour so I left before totally wilting! It was a fun way to start my weekend, as well as the summer

!