CRESTVIEW — Even the threat of Tropical Storm Karen couldn't dampen the Bulldog spirit as the annual Homecoming parade rolled up Main Street Friday afternoon.
Fortunately, the rain held off as the Army JROTC battalion and the Big Red Machine led the parade, which included the Homecoming court princesses, princes, alumni and local supporters.
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Alysa Schoffner and her friend Deja Patterson eagerly awaited the start of the parade to catch a glimpse of Alysa's cousin, Daz Schoffner, a trombonist in the high school band.
Farther down the street, Brayden Powell, 6, kept a wary eye on the rolling floats and vehicles as he dodged the barricades to snag some elusive candy tossed by a marching unit.
Nearby, Sarah Reese, a familiar Crestview figure, popped out of Coney Island Hotdogs with a tasty hamburger to feast on after she took her position along the street to watch the parade.
The first marchers finished and worked their back up Main Street even as marching units and business entries were just starting to roll.
James Small, 12, proudly indicated a high school junior uniformed as a member of the high school Junior ROTC battalion who had walked back down the street after his unit disbanded.
"This is my big brother!" James said, proudly putting his arm around Joey Small's neck.
Though the parade drew hundreds of area students, parents, alumni and supporters, the Okaloosa County School District cancelled weekend events due to the impending storm.
An earlier version of this article erroneously said the homecoming game was canceled.
Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Homecoming parade rolls in spite of storm threat (PHOTOS)