Canines conquer the Seven Kingdoms
Featured last weekend in downtown Apalachicola was a two-day “Game of Bones” as the canines ruled the continent of Westeros and its Seven Kingdoms, the lands featured in the hit series “Game of Thrones.”
The 14th annual Apalachicola Mardi Gras Barkus Parade and Street Festival, for the first time stretched over two days, was just as large as expected as an estimated 8,000 people took in the newly added Fido-Do in Riverfront Park, where visitors savored local craft beers, street entertainment, and live music by Dirty Little Billy as they competed in costume contests, dragon relay races, and a live auction.
Saturday’s parade was even bigger than expected, said organizer Caroline Ilardi.
“It was off the Richter scale,” she said. “The crowd was huge, awesomely more than we ever expected. The largest one ever.
“We had some awesome dragons and knights in shining armor,” Ilardi said.” All kinds of dog princesses and dog dragons.”
She paid special homage to a long-time fixture of the parade, a group of women known as The Frenchies, which included one woman in a flesh-covered body suit who walked ahead of the float as she was gently flailed and derided in shame.
“They really got it,” Ilardi said.
The parade’s grand marshall was Albert “Bulldog” Floyd, the longtime head of the county’s animal control squad. He was recommended by both the Franklin County Humane Society and the Florida Wild Mammal Association, the two non-profit animal welfare organizations who are expected to see an even larger sized donation this year due to the massive turnout.
Floyd insisted that his two animal control officers, Avery Scott and Clay Nowling, join him as grand marshals and the three ruled in royal honor over the event.
The two King and Queen of the event, Stitch and Emma, both rescue dogs, formed the canine court. Emma was adopted that morning and Stitch is expected to soon be taken in by a loving family.
“We’re absolutely certain Stitch is going to be adopted because he’s so cool,” said Ilardi.
Contest winners:
Golf Cart decorating contest: Sir Oliver of the Majestic Jewel (Greg Vance)
Pet Transports category: Princess Zoey’s Royal Cart (Dawn Czyzewski)
Floats & Boats decorating contest: Fishy Fashion Show (Joan Matey)
Best Group Costume: Majestic Jewel (Greg Vance)
Best Individual Costume: Dragon Lady (Joy)
Best Pet Costume: Harley Dragon (Harley Family)
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.