Thanksgiving Parade in America's Hometown, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

With Plymouth Harbor and the Plymouth Rock Memorial as a background, Plymouth's Thanksgiving Parade featured the usual cast of characters beginning with a military Honor Guard.

The parade wound through downtown and ended at the reviewing stand along Water Street in Pilgrim Memorial State Park.

The parade featured floats with themes relevant to Plymouth and it's history in the development of today's America......

.......there were many bands with big, bright, and shiny instruments.......

...and horses and riders.....

...and more bands in bright colors. [For you folks familiar with Photoshop Elements, I used the "Liquefy" feature on the top and bottom areas of this image to create the wavy distortions.]

More big and shiny horns, Flugelhorns I think.

And of course, wherever large numbers of hungry Americans congregate, it seems you can always find that questionable contribution to international gastronomy - Fried Dough.

And if Fried Dough isn't enough, you can also have Fried Potatoes in what looks like a plastic dog food bowl - go figure.  

Maybe I don't get out enough but, this is the first time I've ever seen a portable ATM with a basic trailer hitch.  Seems like anyone could just drive it away like it was a boat or a camper. Maybe that's what is meant by the saying "a boatload of cash."

And always there is too much trash that doesn't get sorted and recycled.

This was the photo opportunity that got away.  I was not in the right position when they fired the graffiti canons. The graffiti completely obscured the sky there was so much blown upward.  Oh well, maybe next year......

But the real human interest story was about the people - both the observers and the participants. What a collection of normal, abnormal, odd, and colorful.......

Here's a woman dressed as a hamburger with her two kids dressed as ketchup and mustard containers. Looks like "ketchup" got tired of wearing his hat.

This man had the most incredibly expressive face of the whole day. He looks like a famous British actor or a combination of all British actors.

I wonder how much these things weigh and do they ever fall off in a strong wind?

Way cool, hip sunglasses that somehow seem out of place with the uniform.

And every parade needs a pirate - arrghh.....

.....and a pilgrim.....

......and a black, grey, and silver dude.

One of many bagpipers passes by a woman secret agent lurking in the background.

I'm speechless at this one.

Three expressive faces - each telling a different story.

Even Uncle Sam showed up at the end of the event. Another successful and well attended parade for America's Hometown - Plymouth, Massachusetts.