If the West Seattle Grand Parade had a marquee, the All-City Band would be atop it – the student musicians who are perennial favorites in this parade and others. Above is video sent to us showing the band practicing at Seattle Center earlier this week; tonight they’ll be rehearsing at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex; and then you can watch for them Saturday as the parade gets going at 11 am from California and Lander, headed south on California to Edmunds. Their rehearsals are reminders that parades don’t just spontaneously happen – they take a lot of planning. We got our annual peek into the parade-planning process back on Monday night at American Legion Post 160 headquarters in The Triangle.

(WSB photo. From left, Rolla Queen, Jim Edwards, Keith Hughes, Michelle Edwards)

That’s when members of the parade team gathered for the lineup meeting, arranging the 70+ entries into a running order for Saturday. It’s definitely an art – beyond the perennial basics such as placing the Grand Marshal (this year, restaurateur and small-business advocate Dan Austin) and Orville Rummel Trophy winner (Deb Barker, as reported here) toward the start. This year was especially interesting, noted coordinator Michelle Edwards, because of the variety of entries – some regular participants haven’t fully restarted their efforts, but some first-time-ever entries surfaced to more than compensate.

Entries are from as far away as Sequim and Olympia, but of course West Seattle entries are at the heart. You’ll see community groups like the Highland Park Improvement Club, sports organizations like West Seattle Baseball and West Seattle Reign, unique vehicles like the DeLoreans and antique fire trucks, school groups including Holy Rosary and West Seattle High School, jump-rope performers, roller skaters, two folkloric dance groups, local businesses (including WSB sponsors Potter Construction and Mountain to Sound Outfitters) … All-City Band isn’t the only marching band; other musical entries include the Kennedy Catholic High School Marching Band. And on Wednesday, we told you about the nautical entries!

Sometimes things change at the last minute, so the parade team has to plan for that too, with placeholders and contingency plans. And it all has to balance out with the staging areas on Saturday morning near the starting point. With all the street-closure and no-parking signs along the route, lots of logistics are involved – generally unseen along the parade sidelines are amateur-radio operators communicating about anything of note (stalled vehicles, for example).

But all you have to do is show up and watch! Anywhere along the route (announcements can be heard at two spots, California/Charlestown and California/Alaska). The parade starts at 11 am, but the street closures start hours earlier, with parking restrictions kicking in at 7 am (don’t ignore the signs, you’ll be towed). At least one more preview to come!