Nicolaus Labor Day Parade brings a community together

The Nicolaus Labor Day Parade in Nicolaus is a candy-throwing, pancake-eating occasion on Labor Day. This parade has been a long-time tradition, according to Ellie Landers, who is a part of the parade's committee.

"I grew up going to it. My uncle started the parade 33 years ago," Landers said.

Beyond the visual spectacle of the parade itself, the gathering serves as a fundraiser for local schools.

"I think it's really cool to see (that) this many people care about our local schools and care about our community and are willing to come together," Landers said. "And it's kind of like a little high school reunion sometimes too, right? You see people you see once or twice a year maybe, because everyone kind of comes back out and comes to this parade."

At the parade, Landers said that everyone loves the bar that opens at 7 a.m. This year the parade also had over 24 vendor booths, according to Landers, and they had a great kids area.

"So Playzeum came out for us and then the 4-H group has a petting zoo, as well as some of the eighth-grade booths that are raising money to go on a Washington D.C. trip. We have a cornhole tournament in the afternoon as well that kind of keeps people around hanging out. And then some of the local families, like the ones that (have been) coming for years, love the vegetable contest," Landers said.

Community members compete to see who can grow the largest zucchini.

"And you get to see who grew the biggest zucchini so it's kind of bragging rights a little bit," Lander said. "I do love zucchini in my garden, but I'm not going to lie – I definitely keep one on the vine to try to win the zucchini contest."

The parade featured a stream of vehicles and floats that chucked candy at both prepared and unprepared onlookers alike. Children jumped out at the candy pile-up moments, displaying athleticism, if you will.

"The elementary school floats are the most competitive floats," Lander said. "And so they're called the kindergarten floats, and it's tradition for every kindergarten class in the area to build a float."

Lander noted that a lot of traditional families come to the event.

"We just stay and we support our community," Lander said. "People that come here are the ones that are believing in the community to kind of come together for it."

Her mom, Claudette Michel, lives in Nicolaus and rode her bike to the event.

Michel said that the bike ride took her five minutes. Michel has lived in the community for 42 years.

On the morning of the parade, it made her happy to see her grandkids so excited to come to the event. She brought her grandkids down to jump on a float.

So it is a multi-generation celebration.

Michel is still proud of her son for having the biggest zucchini one year.

Community members Louie Shalz and Laura Shalz also attended this year's event; Louie Shalz was the grand marshall last year.

"It was really a nice honor. I think it was done because our family has done a lot in this community," Louie Shalz said. "My dad would refuse to do it, so they got me."

Louie Shalz is a retired member of a volunteer fire department and a member of a church that is along the parade's route, St. Boniface.

The church is the foundation of their family, Louie Shalz said.

"It's like the rock," he said.

A lot of faithful people go to the church every week, Laura Shalz said.

"They're all friends and family," Laura Shalz said.

The couple sat in a wagon pulled by a train at the parade last year.

"We threw candy at the kids," Louie Shalz said.

It was hard candy, Laura Shalz said.

"You know, otherwise you don't want it to melt down on them," Louie Shalz said.

They were not worried about hurting people.

"We didn't throw them that hard," Louie Shalz laughed. "Only at the judges."