Cherry lovers young and old filled the streets today to wrap up the National Cherry Festival with the Cherry Royale Parade.
Kids and families visiting for the first time expressed their excitement for the parade and the fun they had at Cherry Festival.
“It’s been really great. There’s a lot of different shops people are very welcoming. It’s great,” One family from the Battle Creek area says.
One family pulled an all-nighter in order to grab a front row seat. The Blanke family secured their spots along Union Street in front of Lay Park around 6 p.m. Friday night. They say it’s something they do every year.
“We’ve been doing it for over 22 years. Right here,” they say.
They were up 17 hours before a sing float even passed by. They say the early set up time is to make sure the kids get a good spot to see the parade and scoop up some candy.
The parade featured floats from local schools, non-profits, businesses, first responders and Cherry Festival royalty. Even Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General made an appearance in this year’s parade.
“I love coming to Traverse City for really any reason at all. So, this is a really good excuse to come back here,” Nessel laughs.
Nessel says it was great to see the fun and enthusiasm of Cherry Festival and people celebrating together once again.
“I just feel incredibly lucky to live in this state, and to represent the people of this state, and go to great events like this. Honestly, it’s the highlight of my job,” Nessel admits.
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