Toronto Veggie Pride Parade!

Join Us On June 1!

Oreo‘s gay pride cookie: What do you think?

Oreo has ignited an Internet-wide conversation after posting an image on the brand’s official Facebook page of an Oreo filled with rainbow-colored creme stacks. The accompanying text read “Proudly support love!”

A screengrab from Oreo's Twitter page. On Monday, the company posted a photo of a rainbow-colored cookie accompanied by the word "Pride." (Credit: Twitter)Oreo, owned by the Nabisco division of Kraft Foods, also tweeted the image.

So far, the Facebook post has received more than 162,000 likes and more than 21,000 comments. The image (which notes that the rich creme colors do not actually exist) has been making the rounds on the Web.

Gawker noted that there’s also a campaign to make the rainbow-colored Oreo a reality

Not everyone is a fan of the cookie — some users pledged in the post’s comments to boycott the popular sandwich cookie. 

Others on the thread have been quick to point out other popular brands owned by Kraft Foods, a roster that includes A1 Steak Sauce, Velveeta and Cool Whip.

What do you think about Oreo’s public show of support for gay pride? Take the poll below and add additional thoughts in the comment section. 

What do you think about Oreo's posting of a rainbow creme-filled cookie in support of Gay Pride?

I think it's a great message from the company and a good marketing move.

I don't think food companies should be engaged in an advocacy campaign like this.

I don't care. I just like Oreos.

Submit

Avon Heritage Duct Tape Parade

The 10th annual Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival is set for Father’s Day weekend, June 14 through 16 at Veterans Memorial Park. This year’s theme is “Decades of Duck Tape.” This year’s festival includes a special addition: a duct tape fashion show featuring celebrity guest judge Michelle Lesniak Franklin, winner of Project Runway season 11.

The Duct Tape Festival is set to open at 4 p.m. on June 14. The parade will take off the next day at 10 a.m. The parade will start at Avon High School and end at Veterans Memorial Park and will feature duct tape floats that “adhere” to the “Decades of Duck Tape” theme. This year’s This year’s Duck brand float was designed and created by students at Elyria High School. Modeled after a classic 1980s car, the float alludes to the “Decades of Duck Tape®” theme by incorporating film reels with images of different uses for Duck Tape in its design. It was created using more than 1,300 rolls of duct tape.

The fun new fashion show is sure to please fashionistas, and the grand prize for entrants into the fashion competition is sure to please “Beliebers.”

This winning Duck Tape prom fashion was designed by Michelle Lesniak Franklin 

and partner  Amanda Valentine. Franklin went on to win Season 11 of Project Runway
and will be featured as a celebrity guest judge at the Duct Tape Festival's fashion show.

The duct tape fashion show and design competition is set for June 15 at 2 p.m. The show will feature duct tape fashions from season 11 of “Project Runway” and will be followed by a duct tape fashion competition. Festival-goers are challenged to create their best duct tape designs using Duck Brand duct tape. The fashion show will feature Michelle Lesniak Franklin as a celebrity guest judge.

Franklin, together with design partner Amanda Valentine, created the winning duct tape prom fashion in Season 11 of “Project Runway” using Duck Brand duct tape in an “unconventional materials” challenge. Franklin went on to win the competition. Entries in the competition will be judged based on workmanship, originality, use of colors, accessories, stage presence and use of Duck Tape.

Two lucky winners will earn four suite seats to the Justin Bieber concert in Cleveland July 13. One winner will be randomly selected, the other winner will be chosen by the judges. The festival will also feature classic carnival fare, rides, duct tape sculptures and crafts, vendors, music, and food.

Festival hours are June 14 from 4 p.m. until 11 p.m., June 15 from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m., and June 16 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.  Admission and parking are free. The first 1,000 attendees each day of the Festival will receive a complimentary roll of Duck Tape.

For details, click here!

Farmers Day Parade Honors Lynden's Heritage

Tractors, marching bands, floats and horses travel down Front Street
 in downtown Lynden on Saturday, June 1, 2013, for the Farmers Day Parade.

Tractors - antique and just off the showroom floor - plus marching bands, floats and horses travel down Front Street in downtown Lynden on Saturday, June 1, for the annual Farmers Day Parade.

The parade, which starts at 10:30 a.m. between Third and 10th streets, is a tribute to the agriculture heritage of the Lynden community. The Puget Sound Antique Tractor and Machinery Association will be honored at this year's grand marshal. Details: 360-354-5995, www.lynden.org

Support Our Troops!!

Memorial Day In D.C.: Rolling Thunder Scheduled

The sound of thousands of motorcycles revving on a spring Sunday can mean only one thing: It's time for the annual Rolling Thunder Run, which kicks off Memorial Day events around Washington, D.C.

Rolling Thunder brings more than 250,000 motorcyclists to D.C. each Memorial Day weekend to raise awareness of U.S. veterans and soldiers missing in action or held as prisoners of war. The three-day event kicks of Friday evening with a candlelight vigil at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, followed Saturday by a barbecue, speaking program at the Reflecting Pool and wreath presentation at the U.S. Navy Memorial.

Bikers will begin assembling in Pentagon parking lots at 7 a.m. Sunday for the noon ride to the U.S. Capitol;  check out the run route to catch a glimpse of the action.o

Memorial Day Committee Planning Huge Parade

The Fulton Service Clubs (Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions and Rotary Sunrise) and the Fulton Veterans Council have completed the planning for the 32nd Annual Memorial Day Salute to be held on May 24 and 25.

The parade committee has been working for several months putting together the area’s largest parade. The parade date is May 25 and it will start at 10 a.m.

The Memorial Day parade is the Fulton Service Clubs’ way of honoring all area veterans.

However, the parade is open to all groups and businesses in the area.

The theme for this year’s parade is “America, United We Stand.”

The committee will award trophies in several categories for the best representation of the theme.

Last year’s winner of “The Grand Marshal Award” for the most patriotic and interesting group was the Fulton Elks Club Lodge #830 float.

Their float was elegantly decorated and gave a very positive patriotic message to the audience and the parade judges.

A parade is music, with bands of different sizes and sounds.

The “Best Music Trophy” was awarded to the Naples High School Marching Band, under the direction of Phillip Bariteau.

Bariteau works hard with his students to develop their skills.  His band is large and the sound is outstanding.

The Fulton Polish Home won the “Theme Trophy.”

They had the Salt City Polka Band and a colorful float that contained several of the Polish Legion of America Veterans (PLAV) on it in their full dress military uniforms. The Fulton Polish Home met all aspects of the parade theme of “America…Worth Fighting For.”

There are always a large number of children’s groups in the parade. So, the parade committee awards three trophies in the category of Children’s Groups.

The first place in the “Children Awards” was awarded to the Off Broadway Dance Studio.

Their dance routine and their beautiful float was second to none.

Second place went to the Fulton Pop Warner.

The Pop Warner boys and girls had a beautiful patriot float, in keeping with the theme, and a talented exhibition by their cheerleading members.

Third place went to the Fulton City School District Junior and High School “marching” band.

Even though the band is not a marching band, their music and marching ability each Memorial Day is to be complemented.

Three trophies are given by the “Fulton Veterans’ Council” for which veteran’s groups and active military are eligible. Winning first place in the Veteran’s group was the VFW Post 569 Float.

Winning second place was the 10th Mountain Division marching band out of Fort Drum.

Taking third place was the Fulton VFW Post 569 Ladies Auxiliary Cars and VFW Junior Girls.

The parade route is the same as it has been for the past 31 years.

The formation of the parade is in the former Nestle’s parking lot and adjacent streets.

The parade then starts north on South Fourth Street by Lyons Street to pass by the Oswego Health facility and the Michaud Nursing Home so that the patients who are able to get outside or to their window can see the parade.

The parade proceeds north to Broadway and then west to Recreation Park.

The reviewing stand will be positioned at West Broadway and West Third Street, in front of Brewer and Brewer’s Mobil Station.

Typically, thousands will line the parade route.

The Fulton Memorial Day Parade tries to be a balanced community based parade.

Active military service units, veterans from all services, several color guards, bagpipe bands, youth groups, fire companies, clowns, school bands, adult bands, some vehicles, lots of walkers, business and industries, scouts, street vendors, usually hundreds of balloons, and even cartoon characters will be in this year’s parade.

The Memorial Day Salute Committee feels that this parade mixture makes for a most interesting event and represents and entertains the community.

A grand marshal leads each Memorial Day Parade.

The Fulton Veterans’ Council, which is made up of all the veterans’ organizations in the greater Fulton area, chooses a “Veteran of the Year” each year.

This year’s Veteran of the Year and parade grand marshal is Alfred Myhill.

The Fulton Veterans’ Council provides the leading color guard for this year’s parade.

All of the bands in the parade are sponsored by area businesses and local industries.

Several bands, sponsored by Cayuga Community College, that have been in the parade every year are returning this year.

Also, the Fulton School’s music department will have all of their bands in the parade this year as they have had since the beginning of the event.

Several colorful floats in each year’s parade make it an event you should not miss.

Many area businesses and industries have entered a float in the parade over the years.

Sometimes an employee group or union have dreamed up the idea and built the float.

There is still time to enter a float in this year’s parade.

Call parade chairman Zach Menter at 591-4502 for more information on how to enter your float or unit in the parade.

The Memorial Day Salute Parade is just one part of the Memorial Day Salute weekend.

The event will open at 5 p.m. on Friday (May 24) and close after the fireworks, sponsored by Community Bank N.A., which are scheduled for 10 p.m.

Food, rides, games, vendors and free entertainment are available throughout the event.

Friday’s entertainment features the G Ray Bodley High School Jazz Band, The Music of Rick Bush and  Central New York’s Musical Mystery Tour, sponsored by National Grid, who will be the main entertainment at 7 p.m.

Saturday’s (May 25) hours are from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.

After the parade, the parade bands will do “Stand In” on the Community Center stage.

Virgil the Magician, The Music of Vince Markowsky, the Fulton Community Band and the Fulton Dixieland Band will provide steady entertainment from noon until closing at 10 p.m. with Rob Garrett, “King of Diamonds,” a Neil Diamond Tribute, taking the stage at 8 p.m. Fulton Savings Bank will sponsor this award winning performer.

All of this entertainment is free, thanks to the support of local Fulton and Oswego merchants and industries.

Along with Fulton Savings Bank, Community Bank N.A., Cayuga Community College and National Grid, other Salute Sponsors are city of Fulton, Fulton CDA, Oswego Health, Pathfinder Bank, Johnston’s Propane Service, OCO Public Transportation and VFW Post 569.

For more Memorial Day Salute information, visit  www.fultonmemorialdaysalute.com

Floats Wanted ‘Decades of Duck Tape’ Parade

    

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The Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival Committee is looking for parade entries and volunteers.

As the festival has grown, so has the parade. If you are an organization interested in building a “duct tape-themed float” or would like to participate as a general entry, you can download a parade application from the festival’s website. 

The city’s biggest parade will take place this year on Saturday, June 15 at 10 a.m. and end at Veterans Memorial Park.

The theme for this years festival is “Decades of Duck^® Tape” inspired by the growth of the festival over the past 10 years. 

Anything goes for the Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival parade this year.  

Entrants who build a “duct tape themed float” have a chance to win a Grand Prize of $1,000,  second prize is $750 and third prize is $500. All non-placing floats will be eligible for our “Honorable Mention” drawing to win a $250 prize. The early bird entry deadline is April 27 for a chance to win $250. The final deadline is May 25for all entries.

There is a $40 entry fee for floats built out of duct tape and will receive 60 rolls of duct tape. All other entries are free of charge to enter.

Volunteers are also being sought. Those interested in volunteering with the parade should call Marnie at (440) 782-1311 or send an email to dtfparade@yahoo.com.

Businesses or organizations interested in becoming a sponsor for the festival this year can download a form at the festival website. Additional information is available on the festivals’ Facebook Page.

Get those entries in soon.

“The early bird entry deadline for float entries for a chance to win $250 is on April 27,” Parade Coordinator Marnie Butler said. “The parade is a very big draw for the festival with approximately 80-90 units. Local business and families are encouraged to build a duct tape float.”

The float categories are prizes are:

• “Tip Top Tape” (Best of Show) – $1,000 prize
• “Best Safari Float” (most animated, fun group and float) – $500 prize
• “Best Use of Duct Tape” – $500 prize
• “Most Creative” – $500 prize

Forms can be downloaded from the festival’s website at http://www.ducttapefestival.com/parade.htm