Everybody loves a parade...

...especially if you get to be in it.

Under the oaks:  FM 518 as you've probably never seen it, although this pic might look crummy on a little phone screen. 

Despite it being 39 degrees with a nasty little northeast wind, a good time was had by all at the League City holiday parade this evening.  The turnout was great and the parade was fun - a more laid back experience than some of the others I've seen in my life (this was my first LC parade). 

It was quite sedate and slow-moving because many of the groups had to pause for performances at the very end of it.  That gave time for the rest of us to have some interaction with the crowd.  Barriers were erected only around the performance area, so kids were free to dash for candy, pet the animals, and have fun with the participants over the majority of the route. 

I walked back to Centerpointe at the conclusion of it.  I wish I could give you some pointers on how to best deal with traffic if you don't live close enough to walk to and from this annual event, but closing FM 518 is going to cause significant mobility challenges no matter how well-planned the festivities, and you're likely to wait in traffic no matter where you manage to park.  If you can handle a short walk, you could choose the municipal complex because parking there was very light this evening, and it's really a short walk from there across East Walker and then north for about two blocks on Park Avenue.  Not sure if that would work for families with small children, but it could be a zippy option for others. 

Near the end of the line, as the performances were taking place in front of that shuttle bus in the mid-ground ahead of us.  Note how compact and orderly those people are as they are piled up on both sides of the road.  Very well-behaved, as crowds go.