Wet weather doesn’t deter Martin Luther King Day parade

Even on a rainy day, everybody loves a parade.

But not everybody will brave the elements to watch.

The crowds were noticeably smaller at this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in downtown Las Vegas.

Blame it on the sporadic sprinkles, dark skies and chilly temperatures.

Still, thousands of parade watchers clad in winter coats and clutching umbrellas lined Fourth Street to watch the 28th annual parade, which began at 10 a.m.

The roughly three-hour parade included all the standards: marching bands, pint-sized cheerleaders, politicians astride antique fire trucks.

The weather didn’t dampen the spirits of most parade watchers.

“This is wonderful,” said Roseann Beach, a 60-year-old visitor from Michigan who arrived early to make sure she got a good seat from which to see her granddaughter march in the parade.

The weather was nothing to Beach.

“This is like summer in Michigan,” she said.

Contact reporter Lynnette Curtis at lcurtis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0285.