Extreme temperatures that surpassed 100 degrees and wind gusts of 35 mph couldn't keep thousands of people from turning out for the annual Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo parade Saturday afternoon.
Parade organizer Laura Docken said the turnout was comparable to past years, with possibly as many as 10,000 in attendance. She said the heat had an effect on the turnout, but, she said, hot weather always is an issue with the rodeo parade.
"I think the heat kept a lot of people home," she said, "and I saw some people leave early. It was a scorcher out there."
According to the National Weather Service, the temperature Saturday reached 107 degrees at 2 p.m., about the time the parade was ending. It peaked at 108 at around 3 p.m.
This year's parade, which featured a patriotic flair and a salute to veterans, had close to 150 entries.
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"There was a large number that stood out. They were all good," Docken said. "The judges were having a really difficult time coming up with the winners."
The parade opened with a flyover by a Black Hawk helicopter, which Docken said "was a big hit."
"I heard a lot of people say that was pretty awesome," she said.
Michelle Bathke and her kids, Brady, 9, and Isabel, 5, sold bottled water in front of the Cactus Bar, which she and her husband own.
"Their dad (Jeff Bathke) came up with the idea," she said.
Brady Bathke held up a Ziploc bag of money to show how much he had made all afternoon and Michelle Bathke said the kids had been quite successful. They also were successful in grabbing candy and treats thrown from numerous floats.
Jenny Kleinsasser of Ethan said she wasn't going to come to the parade because of the heat, but decided to attend for the sake of her 3-year-old son, Adam.
"He wanted to see the horses and get some candy," she said.
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Kleinsasser said she always came to the rodeo parade as a kid growing up in Mitchell. To keep up that tradition, she attends the annual rodeo events.
"We go to the rodeo on Friday night, the parade on Saturday and the chili cook-off on Sunday," she said.
The all-around winner from this year's parade was CorTrust Bank's patriotic float featuring soldiers mimicking the famous photo of raising the American flag on Iwo Jima during World War II.
Jeff Smith, who works at CorTrust, was one of the "soldiers" on the float. He said the float idea was created by a parade committee, made up of employees from CorTrust Bank.
The float also won first place in the Best Use of Theme and Commercial categories.
Other floats that won, and their categories, were:
n Youth Category: Pack 77 Scouts, Mitchell Head start, Bright Beginnings.
n Horse Drawn: Hanson Wheel and Wagon, Cody Perman, Spirit of the West.
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n Commercial: CorTrust, Avera Queen of Peace Hospital, Bright Beginnings.
n Retail: Wireless World, Jackpot, Chef Louie's.
n Best Use of Theme: CorTrust, Pack 77 Scouts, Bright Beginnings.
n Antique: Hanson Wheel and Wagon, Dave and Chris Williams, Twin Rivers.
n Humorous: Corn Palace Hillbillies, Bright Beginnings, Spirit of the West.
n Shrine: El Riad Sprint Car 12, El Riad Horse Car 34, El Riad Motor Corps 11.
n Equestrian: Ethan Trail, Hanson Wheel and Wagon, Shana Clarambeau and Patty Sivertse.
