The Hispanic Dance Team from Winlock performed for festival-goers at last year's May Day event in Vader.
A parade participant throws handfuls of candy to kids lining the street in Vader during the annual May Day event on Saturday. Classical cars made up a large portion of the parade.
Dressed in a monkey suit, a parade participant, shows their support for Emergency Service Providers, by advocating for a yes vote on EMS levies during the May Day parade in Vader on Saturday.
A young girl takes to the zip-line at the May Day event in Vader on Saturday. Event organizers said the new addition to the festival was one of the more popular attractions.
Dancers from the Hispanc Dance Team in Winlock participate in traditional Hispanic dances. This was the first year the dance team participated in the May Day event in Vader.
Menona Huntley, of Centralia, gives a face painting to Xander Wells, 2 of Toledo, during the May Day event in Vader on Saturday.
May Day Parade participants escort goats down A Street in Vader on Saturday.
The streets of Vader filled with festivalgoers Saturday as attendees lined the roads to watch the annual May Day parade, and the performances that came along with it.
Those at the event were entertained with two live dance performances by the Hispanic Dance Team of Winlock and hula dancers from Longview. A zip-line, fair food, face painting and carnival games filled A Street, which was blocked off for the celebration.
“I was very happy with the amount of people that came,” Robert Charlton, the parade announcer for the event since 1988, said.
New additions, including a quick zip-line for participants, were a top hit, and the warm weather brought in a large amount of people, causing the food vendor who attends annually to sell out.
As the first event to begin the festival season, Charlton said, everyone was excited for the May Day activities.
The planning for the event began in January and volunteers worked to get the word out to different vendors and organizations. This year, Charlton said, the vendors did exceptionally well and offered a large variety of products and services.
The parade was on par with years before it, bringing streams of floats, cars and emergency response vehicles, all throwing candy at the eager children who lined the streets. A highlight of the parade, Charlton said, was the amount of law enforcement who participated.
“Anytime we have law enforcement (in the parade), I think that’s a plus,” he said. “Those guys are spending their own time and helping out. We’re appreciative of that.”
The event has been held in Vader since the ‘50s or ‘60s and helps give back to the community of Vader.
“This is really something that helps everyone,” Charlton said. “It’s for the people.”
