A Tribal Winter Celebration

In one of our game's best tributes to The Tribe & the concept of tribes in KTDA, our Winter Solstice celebration included a massive city-wide parade that embraced all the inhabitants of our city. With the help of a great partner from Cleveland, we were able to pull it all together in 1 fantastic post. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!


Winter Solstice Parade
Post #3729 - October 2005

Welcome to the first Winter Solstice Parade, brought to you by Tom-F Enterprises. I'm Stacy and I'll be your announcer for this occasion. So let the show begin!

And here they come, guys! The parade's starting! There's Grand Marshal Tom-F, but hey he's walking. What happened to the carriage? The blonde with him is Jade, the girl who worked like crazy to pull all your Solstice entertainment together! Let's hear it for Tom-F and Jade!

Ok, behind Tom-F we have the Fort River Marching Band. Dressed in sparkling red and blue uniforms. Hey, they look great! Listen as the band of 30 plays 20 different types of instruments!

Next is the float for Tom-F's Casino. Look at the showgirls dance! Be sure to stop by Tom F.'s fine establishments including the clubs and casinos. They're open 24/7 during Solstice!

Next we have... hmm. Ok, here's a little something for the guys. Madam Mona and her girls! Aren't those costumes great? Well, colorful anyway. Maybe a bit cold for some of those-- is that girl at the back turning blue? Somebody should check on her.

Hey, look-- it's Blood and his boys! The rebels with motorcycles. Word is they'll connect with the band Tribal Thunder for a great song and stunt show later this afternoon. You'll definitely want to check that out!

Look in sky! It's a tribute to those amazing Birds that kept us safe when they helped us out in recent rough times. Wherever you are, Birds, you inspired these giant kites! Everybody give us a special hand for The Birds of Prey. We thank you!

OK, let's see what's next...

They flip! They bend! They stretch--and can you say "ouch"? Does that hurt? Wow, Guys, they're absolutely amazing! Yes it's the Fort River Acrobats! Flexibility is no factor for this bunch. Watch as they perform tricks, tumbles and twists we can only dream of doing.

Here comes the outstanding Flag Team! Holding those poles and flags high, representing the symbols of our most well-known and loved tribes from across the city, as well as our allies in the recent battles. Hey, be respectful, guys! Some of those tribes were... well, were wiped out in all the fighting. They gave their all for Fort River. May we continue to stay united and strong!

*A brief hush falls over the crowd. They remember Vixens, Manglers, Lost Boys and other tribes who were literally erased when the smoke cleared. The last flag through is a small Brotherhood banner. No one boos...*

Ok, is it just me? Do I hear more than one type of music mixed? Yeah, I thought so! It's the Folk Dancers with an arrangement of choreographed world dances. Fancy footwork, tradition and fun! They'll be performing later this afternoon near the river promenade. Hey, this is our heritage! If we don't learn it and remember it, it all just disappears!

You've seen them earlier--on the beach, on Merchant Street, and wherever there was a crowd gathered. They continue to put smiles on our faces-- The Clowns Tribe! Hey, the Clowns always know how to get a laugh from kids of all ages with their jokes and silly antics! Give them a big hand. Better yet, a big laugh!

*Clowns rush in all directions, tossing candy coins and paper flowers to the kids, handing balloon animals on strings to the youngest. They get smiles and cheers from everyone!*

Now here's one you definitely don't see every day. It's "Kingdom Kid Critters," otherwise known as the Zoo Tribe. Led by King Safy & Queen Katara, they remind all of us to love animals and take care them!

Now what is this float? Oh, OK, my list says the next float is courtesy of Shadow and "The Way"! Be sure to stop by "The Way" booth on Merchant Street or over on the beach. Learn more about this new Way of working together to build our future.

The Puppet Master is here! Now this is really cool, Guys. How in the world does he control those three very large giant puppets at once? It's truly freakishly amazing! They look like actual humans... are you sure they're not? Scary! See you later, Puppet Master!

Last, but certainly not least-- The most colorful bunch you're gonna see during Solstice. Give a big round of applause for The Painted People! Some painted up as leafs and flowers, and others as the sky and constellations! Truly a sight to see! Is it body paint? Tattoos? Do we care? No-- we just love their beautiful body art and dramatic poses. Each and every body tells a story!

*Stacy backs away from the mic and takes a drink of water, watching the end of the parade passing by.*

And that's it, Guys! The Winter Solstice Parade! Thanks to everyone who participated! We love you! I've been asked to remind you all that Blood's Bike Show starts in an hour on the beach near the bandstand. And for all you lucky VIPs, the private lunch at Tom-F's club will start in 30 minutes. There's music at the bandstand, great food and drinks at the booths, and game of chance under the Blue Cabana. Still a lot of Solstice left to celebrate, so don't go home just yet! Happy Solstice!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"