By Ron Eland

February 19, 2026 - 5:05 pm

If you’re reading this and have not yet read the page 1 article about the concerns of the Damboree committee and the popular water zone, I will stop typing until you do.

OK, it’s been 10 minutes. Hopefully you’re all caught up.

As you may have read, the Damboree committee has some concerns, and understandably so. It comes down to safety during the parade, specifically the water zone.

Since coming back to my hometown three years ago, despite the temperatures and 15-hour day, July 4 is still one of my favorite local events to view and to take pictures of for the newspaper.

They allow me to walk inside the metal barriers as I capture images of parade queens, local business floats, class reunions and yes, the water zone.

Two years ago, I took first place in the statewide newspaper contest of boys giving it their all in the water zone as they defended their float.

And yes, each time, when the thousands of gallons of water create a canopy over the roadway, I end up wet, all while trying to protect my camera. But the last two years, while still in the dry portion of the parade, I got sprayed in the face while taking photos. And let’s be very clear, it’s not just the kids who cannot control themselves with their itchy trigger fingers. Or, those who come in from out of town.

I’m all for adults taking that step back in time to when they were young and enjoyed the parade but some forget that they are still grownups and need to set an example for their kids and others.

Yes, I’m sure there are some reading this saying, listen to the old “get off my lawn” guy complaining about getting wet. It’s not that, but rather, just play by the rules. It’s simple or you may ruin it for everyone.

Because of increasing issues in 2024, last year’s dry-zone participants were automatically directed down Aztec Drive, thus avoiding the water altogether. I heard a few people express their unhappiness with that decision. These weren’t people who had oversized squirt guns at the ready but rather those who were in the water zone and were unable to get a good view of the majority of the parade. By the time they realized the route had changed, it was too late for them to move.

The result of the diversion of the dry-zone participants, and the lag time between them and wet-zone entries, ended with many people getting past or going over the barriers and a water fight among many occurred in the street. This was even before the wet-friendly parade entries arrived.

I heard someone in the crowd last year say, “If you don’t want to get wet, you shouldn’t be in the parade.” Wrong answer. This mentality is what may prevent some from wanting to be in the parade. Or worse, no more water zone. If I have a six-figure, classic vehicle, I don’t want to risk any interior water damage as a result of getting sprayed by a two-figure water gun.

As I step off my soapbox, I echo the words from the Damboree committee. Go and have fun and spray those in the water zone until your fingers look like a dried prune. BUT… please abide by the simple rules that have been in place for three decades. It doesn’t take much to keep the water zone alive, but it may take even less to kill it.