I’ve been focusing a lot on the 250th birthday of St. Louis, but let’s not forget that Belleville is also celebrating a milestone year…200 years old! Tonight was the birthday parade!

 

There were bands and dance groups:

Civil Servants:

Veterans:

Politicians:

A very strange Grand Marshall:

And a strangely cool, old-fashioned, horse-drawn hearse:

Cool Cars:

Floats:

Other assorted participants:

And, of course, Shriners!

It was a beautiful spring night in Belleville!

I was struck again tonight that this really is home. Not only was I talking to strangers (mostly about the Blues, because I was wearing my Blues jersey), but I also talked to friends from church as they went by in the parade. Being able to find people I know in a crowd reminded me just how much at home we are here!