Corgi Parade November 29th!

Have you heard the news about the return of the FAMOUS Corgi Parade? It will be happening this year at Holiday In St. Elmo on November 29th. These smart, cute, festive pups will be competing for trophies while trotting up the avenue in their thick winter coats. The last time there was a corgi parade in St. Elmo there were nearly 60 corgis participating! Even the Queen of England sent her regrets at having to miss the festivities that year (honest!).

Check the Holiday In St. Elmo website for more information and see how you can get involved.

The Holiday In St. Elmo Corgi Parade is sponsored by Framewrights. Owner, Bob Wright, tells all:

"I must take full responsibility for the Corgi Parade.... "

About 9 years ago, with the vision of Vaughan Greene, September in St Elmo festival was started. At this time there was some crime in the St Elmo business district as well as the rest of the neighborhood. St Elmo's good name had been besmirched in the media and we wanted a festival which would bring people into St Elmo to show it wasn't a crime riddled black hole. It was highly successful.

St Elmo Ave was closed from Cummings Highway/Broad Street to the Incline. There was a history tent, artist's booths, food vendors and a music stage. Norman Blake played one year which was incredible as he was coming off the recent success of Oh Brother Where Art Thou. We have the late Freddy Landry to thank for that.

I was on the festival committee for four years and at the meetings we discussed road closing permits, port-o-potties, trash cans, vendors etc. Not the most exciting dialog. The second year I decided to start something that would encourage me to go to these dry (dry in the talk not libations) meetings.

At the time I had 4 Corgis and my own little parade twice a day around the Seneca Ave. circle. I thought having more Corgis together would be just the ticket for the festival and my morale. The Corgi parade had 3 goals: educate people about the breed, bring together the community of owners, and last but not least bring people to the festival . I called owners who I knew and the first year we had about 20 Corgis. The second year we had about 40 and the last year 60 Corgis. We figured about 3-4 people came with each Corgi, meaning the parade brought in about 180-200 people who may not have come to the festival and spent money if not for this silly parade. Since this was a 2 day festival there was a Not-Corgi parade started for the second day. In 2002 HRH Queen Elizibeth of Great Britain, a well know Corgi owner and breeder sent a congragulation letter and the parade was dedicated to her that year. The festival lasted for 4 years and it was decided it had met it's goals and was no longer worth the time demands it in cured.

When the Holiday in St Elmo committee asked if I would bring back this crowd pleaser I was happy to oblige. I will be out of town during the festival but have brought in a passionate Corgi owner to help and be there the day of the parade. Her name is Shell Hunt. I will be involved in all the preliminary work but Shell and her associates will be there for the parade. Incidentally, the parade is free of charge and is sponsored by Framewrights as well as other contributers. I hope this answers some questions.

Long live the Corgi!
Bob Wright 2008