Fiesta Bowl Parade rolls through Phoenix ahead of big game

Seven-year-old Martin jumped, covered his ears and he leaned into his dad, Antonio Gutierrez, who gave his startled son a quick squeeze as the parade rolled forward at last Saturday morning. 

The loud sputter from the exhaust pipe of the '57 Chevy truck in front of the boy signaled the start of the 47th annual Fiesta Bowl Parade.

Each year, about 100,000 spectators line the procession route in central Phoenix, making it the highest-attended single-day event in Arizona, according to event officials. 

The parade, ahead of the Penn State vs. Washington bowl game Saturday afternoon, started at Central and Montebello avenues and went south down Central, before turning east onto Camelback Road, south on Seventh Street and ending right before Indian School Road.

Martin and his dad had been waiting for more than an hour as temperatures dipped into the low 50s. They were on their way to do maintenance work, Gutierrez said. He said his son had begged to stay and watch. 

"Hey! No fair. You also wanted to stop," Martin reminded his father, as the pair continued to happily delay work for a procession of floats.

The boy eyed a group that stood by dressed as Ghostbusters, his favorite movie, and others who were in Avengers gear. He had been pointing out his favorite superhero to his dad when the '57 Chevy truck roared forward. 

Corey Seiler, in the driver's seat, waved to the boy. The 55-year-old had recently installed chrome fishtail motorcycle exhaust tips on the vehicle to draw more attention to the vintage fleet cruising in the parade. 

Seiler said he was representing the Street Transportation Department for the city of Phoenix. 

Parade pageantry

The cars followed a giant Pillsbury Doughboy that floated above, surely causing onlookers to hear the character's classic "Hoo Hoo!" in their heads. 

Also among the pageantry: marching bands, clowns, elaborate floats, equestrian units and dance troupes.

One dance group in particular, the Caribbean Zone, stood out in their intricate hand-beaded gold skirts and red-feathered headdresses. Their theme this year was "It Takes a Village," with an emphasis on African villages. 

Leo Morris, 54, pushed along his 4-month-old daughter, who sat wide-eyed in a stroller,  with one hand and recorded with his phone in the other. 

"That's my wife right there," Morris said proudly, pointing to the front of the group. "She's a professional dancer."

It was her seventh year in the parade, he said. 

Their 11-year-old daughter, Imani Sweeney, looked on wistfully as she snapped her own photos. 

"I do it every year, too. But this year I just didn't want to," she said. "I regret it because they look like they're having a lot of fun."

Imani and her baby sister will follow the group all the way to the end, Morris said. 

"It's like you're in it anyway," he assured her. 

A Valley tradition

Fiesta Bowl Parade Chair Brian Bednar told The Arizona Republic that the parade has become a tradition for Valley families who have attended for decades.

“People love a parade. They come out hours before to set up a spot. They sit in the cold weather just to get their favorite spot,” he said. 

Bednar said that along with locals, out-of-town visitors also attend the parade.

“A lot of people are in town for the football game and the holidays, and it’s something fun and unique to do,” Bednar said.     

Ken Jacobsen, 61, walked fast along the parade but traveling in the opposite direction. 

He and his family were late, he said. They had wanted to catch a glimpse of the parade but they had priorities: tailgating with fellow Huskies. 

The family had been Washington season ticket holders for more than 40 years and could not miss the chance to see them in their first Fiesta Bowl, he said. 

Jacobsen, who arrived in town Friday, said he wished the parade was closer to University of Phoenix Stadium. Most bowl parades are closer to the game, he said, eyeing the scene. 

"This parade blows them all away," Jacobsen said. 

Laura Latzko contributed to this article.