ST. HELENA -- Don't be fooled by the canines wrapped in loofahs and the people walking down Oak Avenue in bathrobes and shower caps -- the Just Add Bubbles entry in Saturday's Pet PAWrade was no joke.
Cindy Milani masterminded the project, which included six dogs and at least 10 humans. And she was in it to win. Milani and her friends are big Pet PAWrade fans, and they always use homemade costumes, which means a lot of work parties leading up to the big day. Pet PAWrade aficionados might remember their Kentucky Derby-themed entry, Race to the Roses, from 2022.
"I started this with my mom, who back in the days had basset hounds," Milani said. "The first one we ever did we turned bassets into cave hounds. Another year we had seven bassets so we made them Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
The team was the ideal combination of competitive drive, skill, and fun. Sure enough, Just Add Bubbles won Favorite Large Group at St. Helena's biggest community celebration of the year.
The Harvest Festival kicked off early with a 5K and a one-mile fun run, followed by the Pet PAWrade at 10 a.m. After that, nonprofits, government agencies, service clubs, arts and crafts vendors, and political candidates greeted throngs of festivalgoers at booths lining Oak Avenue.
Classic cars lined Adams Street. Public Works machinery lined Tainter Street. The fun even transcended political divides. At one point, mayoral candidate Billy Summers, running against incumbent Paul Dohring, was seen amiably chatting with passers-by in front of Dohring's booth.
A Kid Zone took over the former St. Helena Catholic School parking lot, while musicians performed on a makeshift stage and revelers lined up for hot dogs and burgers from the Odd Fellows, beer from the Kiwanis Club, pizza from the Boy Scouts, and -- a secret that didn't stay secret for long -- free ice cream sandwiches from the Rotary Club.
Temperatures reached the high 80s by mid-afternoon, but the heat stayed bearable for the morning's Pet PAWrade.
You can probably guess the characters in the Wizard of Paws entry. "I'm the good witch, she's the bad witch and she's a flying monkey," said Parker Pike, introducing her friends. "We have a lion somewhere over there and a Dorothy."
The Tin Man and Scarecrow were doing double duty with the RLS Middle School band, which opened the parade with a rendition of "Yellow Submarine." Toto was gamely tagging along too.
And then there was Barkie (a takeoff on Barbie); a 49ers-themed entry starring Michelle Wagner, her son Mickey, and two chickens; and Ernest Hemingway and his pet-sitter, Melissa Bush, portraying Superman and Lois Lane.
As usual, the animals seemed to be tolerating the festivities while their humans had the time of their lives.