CAMAS — Familiar characters strolled the streets of Camas on Saturday, including Snow White accompanied by the seven dwarfs — well, more like baby Nigerian dwarf goats that is — wearing tiny hats and being pulled by the princess in a wagon.
The display, organized by 4 Season 4H/Camas Camp-N-Ranch, elicited many squeals and coos as spectators fussed over the babies. And not far behind, a float carrying cows played off the nursery rhyme “Hey Diddle Diddle,” as other fairy-tale princesses rode on horseback.
Saturday’s scene on Northeast Fourth Avenue through downtown Camas was straight out of a storybook — appropriate, as “Once Upon a Time” was the theme of the 43rd annual Camas Days. This year, there were 69 entries in the Grand Parade, said Brent Erickson, executive director of the Camas-Washougal Chamber of Commerce.
Among them, though a bit more futuristic, was Team Mean Machine Robotics. Their robot, Carbon?, launched softball-sized Wiffle balls into the crowd as the students wheeled the robot down the street. Team Captain Trevor Glasheen, 17, from Camas High School, said the robot was their 2016-17 project and recently made them the Pacific Northwest District champions.
Not far behind, Georgia-Pacific, which owns the historic paper mill that anchors downtown, took a slightly different approach — though not unusual given the business they’re in — and handed out rolls of toilet paper. Like the 4Hers, they, too, went with a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs-themed float.
But mostly, the parade entrants tossed candy, and lots of it.
Five-year-old Leo Gibson arguably found the best spot to scramble after the treats. And lucky for him, he didn’t have to stray far from his front yard. The boy’s house sits at the beginning of the parade route.
His father, Nick Gibson, 43, said they watch the procession roll by every year.
“It’s Camas. We love Camas. It’s really cool that they do all of this,” Gibson said. “Pride of the community.”
Like Leo, 4-year-old Porsche Dehart was also in it for the candy, until she saw the 40/8 locomotive from Voiture 99 and began jumping up and down yelling, “It’s Chuggington! Choo choo!” Chuggington is the name of an animated children’s show about trains.
It’s hard to say what 9-month-old Margot most enjoyed at her first parade, but she was grinning ear-to-ear as she took in the sights and sounds.
Her mother, Katie McCarthy, 29, bounced the little girl to music performed by the Camas High School Marching Band while her older sister, Lola, 3, collected candy with dad.
McCarthy echoed Gibson’s view of the annual event.
“We like seeing all of the local businesses. It’s a great sense of community, and it brings everyone together,” she said.
