By Rena Gush | Beacon Positivity Columnist

Bass Lake Summerfest Festival opens Thursday.
Previously known as Pre-Mid-Summer Festival Week Days, organizers established a catchier name “to reflect the times,” said event-committee member Arshley Swanson.
What’s not to like about that?
One of the biggest events of the festival is the annual parade. This year’s parade begins at 2:45 p.m. Saturday in uptown Bass Lake.
I’ve never met a single person who doesn’t love a parade, and I bet you never have, either!
Another highlight is the historic fireworks finale on Saturday night. We’ll get to that later.
Here is a partial parade lineup, provided by the event committee. For a complete list, visit the festival website.
- Police car siren-blast
- Fire truck siren-blast
- (U.S.) Color Guard
- Ambulance (sirens off)
- Convertible containing parade marshal Simon Greenless, former president of Bass Lake School Board of Education
- Float: Vintage theme of some kind
- Hard-candy distribution team
- Baton-Twirlers Anonymous
- Bass Lake Resident of the Year (TBA)
- Stilt-Clown Posse
- Bass Lake High School marching band
- Bass Lake Tractor Collectors Club, featuring Farmall F-20 John Deere 420 and Van Halen 5150.
- Local merchant: Sir Cars-A-Lot
- Michiana Parade-Haters Club
- Float: Regional Corporate Hospital downsizing team
- Local merchant: 姐妹城市舞者
- Children wearing matching T-shirts