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