(7/17) Though the annual Guardian Hose
Company carnival was going on all week, on
Thursday, July 10 downtown Thurmont visitors
also got to enjoy the annual parade. People
begin picking out their seats along East Main
Street and North Church Street sometimes more
than an hour before the parade begins. At the
east end of town, floats, cars, horses, bands,
and emergency equipment snake through the
neighborhoods as they find their places in the
parade line.
Cub Scout Carson Morrow, 9, of
Sabillasville, was riding on the float for Cub
Pack 270 for the first time. “Being on it for
the first time, it’s kind of exciting and I
get candy. It’s really exciting,” he said.
Carson’s fellow scout, 8-year-old Alex
Mayhew had been in four parades and took
everything in stride. “It’s still lots of fun
even after four times. I like all the
attention you get,” he said.
The parade lasted about an hour with adults
waving as friends passed by and children
scrambling for the candy those in the parade
threw out.
“I like everything about the parade,” said
Peggy Tobery of Thurmont. “It’s exciting,
though I think they should cut back on the
candy.”
So much candy is thrown to the crowd during
the parade that not all of it gets picked up.
However, any child who wants can manage to go
home with a full bag.
Once the parade ended, many people headed
to the carnival grounds to enjoy the food and
rides there and to support the Guardian Hose
Company.
“I come more often not that I’ve got kids,”
said Allen Smith of Thurmont. “They really
enjoy it and I get to meet old friends.”
The annual carnival is Guardian Hose
Company’s major fundraiser for the year,
usually earning them more than $60,000 to
support their emergency operations.
