Dragon Slayer — Fredericktown celebrates with Homecoming Kickoff parade
(First photo by I.C. Photography; photo of sleeping princess and thumbnail submitted by Amanda Wengler.)
Sunday in Fredericktown you were as likely to crunch on a leaf as you were a Whopper, and also apt to get hit by one, as it marked the Homecoming Kickoff with Fredericktown School’s ‘Dream Like Disney’ parade theme.
Among the floats were princesses, horses, claw aliens and plenty of dragons – usually on the end of a sword or slogan such as “Tangle up the Dragons” or “Claw the Dragons” or, more traditionally, “Slay the Dragons” as on the winning float from the Fredericktown Middle School. It featured Xander Stufflebean as ‘Prince Charming,’ from Sleeping Beauty, an image Middle School Math Instructor Lindsey Jenkins said was chosen at a meeting a few weeks ago. “We were like, ‘Which [Disney] movies have dragons in them?” The princess in the casket is Harper Sikes.
On this winning float, a noble horse stood over the body of a fallen knight in characteristic green, the prince waved and the beauty was not always sleeping. Second place went to the middle and high school volleyball teams, a house with balloons from Up; and third place went to the intermediate school football team, who replicated a football field goal and strategy board on a green field.
The parade traveled from the Rockwall near the city pool, northwards on Marshall Street, east and o’er Courtsquare and ended at Azalea Park for an afternoon of booths, food trucks and hijinks. The tireless jazz and concert band played more songs under the podium. JROTC led at the front with the police ahead while local businesses gave out candy, or knit caps from Cap America.
The band played “Any Way You Want It” down the streets, and will do their “bone song” on the Friday game. “It’s very, uh, scary,” Band Instructor Shelby Leo promised, with some seasonal choreography executed by the trombonists.
The ritual may give the Blackcats courage to defeat Ste. Genevieve for the homecoming game on Friday, Oct. 10. The football game begins at 7 p.m., after the coronation at 6 p.m. where the Homecoming queen and king will be crowned. JROTC will serve a chili supper from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The homecoming dance will be the following night, on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m.
