Feathers Takes a Third in State Fair Parade

Jerry and Ashley Roseberry and son, Val Baldwin, Holly Burton, Ginger and Victor Coberley

Feathers, the world’s largest goose decoy and mascot of the Lamar Chamber of Commerce Honker’s turned heads once again during this past Saturday’s State Fair Parade in Pueblo.

Parade Route from Feather’s Perspective

The Honkers came home with the bronze, awarded with 3^rd Place by the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce judges in the Commercial Category.  This year’s theme was, “Hometown Heroes and Rodeos”, combining an element of patriotism with a western flair.

Parade Audience Lines the Streets

Perfect weather, but about 98 degrees, the crowds turned out after a year’s absence to view the entries from around the state as a traditional kick-off to the annual state fair which is also posting record numbers following last year’s pandemic shut-down.

The Honkers spend Friday night in Pueblo after hauling their mascot on a special trailer, built to accommodate the goose’s dimensions.  The wake up call the following morning is usually around 5-5:30am to allow the entries to be put into place along the parade route so they can start decorating in time to be judged by 8am.  After that it’s a matter of patience as the parade starts at 10am with over 100 entries each year.  This time, the Honkers placed 24^th in the line-up which allowed an early start and an early finish.

By Russ Baldwin