Hundreds of people, mostly families, lined West Simpson Avenue and Third Street in downtown McCleary for Saturday’s 60th annual Bear Festival parade and celebration.

The grand parade kicked off at noon with a mix of local and regional entries. The festival draws a good number of floats from the state festival circuit, including Olympia’s Capital Lakefair, the Port Townsend Rhody Festival, the Port Orchard Fathoms of Fun Festival, Olympia Harbor Days and an entry from the Sequiam Irrigation Festival, with one of the princesses proudly showing off its Grand Sweepstakes Award.

More local entries included the pirate ship Black Rose from Ocean Shores Pirates, the Hoquiam Loggers Playday float and royal court, Elma Youth Cheer, High Impact Dance Academy, and many others.

At the head of the parade were McCleary Mayor Brenda Orffer, the 2019 Bear Festival royal court, and a line of cars carrying past court members. Other royalty included Miss Grays Harbor Grace Aiken and this year’s Bear Festival parade grand marshal Edith Soller. Soller moved to McCleary from Kansas about 80 years ago. She is the daughter of former McCleary Mayor Ernie Beerbower and has two daughters who were Bear Festival queens in the 1970s. She’s well known for her countless hours of volunteering for the annual festival down the decades.

As the parade wound down hundreds made their way to the line for the festival’s stew, which, for the first time, did not contain bear meat. That didn’t stop the steady line of festivalgoers from grabbing a plate.

Music and entertainment continued into the evening. The annual car show Sunday rounded out the weekend, with more live music from Monica Drake and Dewayne Brady, Kynan Shane, and the band Humor and Heart.

DAN HAMMOCK | GRAYS HARBOR NEWS GROUP McCleary Mayor Brenda Orffer tosses candy at the crowd of families at the head of the McCleary Bear Festival parade Saturday.

DAN HAMMOCK | GRAYS HARBOR NEWS GROUP The 2019 Loggers Playday court waits its turn in the McCleary Best Festival parade Saturday.

Grays Harbor Mounted Posse Rodeo Queen Tessa Watson waves to the big crowd lining West Simpson during the McCleary Bear Festival parade Saturday.

DAN HAMMOCK | GRAYS HARBOR NEWS GROUP The royal court for the 2019 McCleary Bear Festival winds its way through town during the parade Saturday.

DAN HAMMOCK | GRAYS HARBOR NEWS GROUP Julia, Ella and Emelia Carnell went all out for their entry in Saturday’s McCleary Bear Festival parade with this nod to the anniversary of the moon landing. Seated in the lunar rover is Zane Zabala.