White Elephant Days are kicking off

Bands are tuning up and clowns are getting faces painted for the 45th Annual Country Fair White Elephant Parade kicking off Saturday at 10 a.m. right here in Green Valley.

(BELOW: Saturday's parade lineup)

This year’s parade theme is “45 Years Making a Difference” a tribute to the CFWE, which was founded in 1964.

With 106 entries (see them on Page A11), the parade line-up is sure to thrill the thousands who line La Canada each year to join in the fun.

WHO'S MARCHING?

Parade viewers will be treated to popular entries featuring equestrian riders like the Pima County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse and Escaramuza Flor de Primavera, a sidesaddle drill team.

Get ready for the Sahuarita High School Marching Band, Continental Colt Band and the Rio Rico High School Marching Band, to name a few. New entries for 2009 include the Cancer Relay for Life, P.E.O., Acra Construction and American Legion Post 131.

GETTING STARTED

The parade starting point is near the Santa Rita Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 150 N. La Canada Drive.

Scheduled to last until noon, the parade will travel south on La Canada, past the judges’ stand near the Quality Inn Green Valley to Paseo del Prado near the Continental Shopping Plaza.

TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS

Beginning at 8:30 a.m. all north and south-bound traffic on La Canada Drive will be switched over to the west side of La Canada until 12:30 p.m.

All streets on the east side of La Canada Drive from Desert Bell/La Canoa Drive south to Paseo de Prado will be closed to through traffic from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The southbound lanes of La Canada will remain open to traffic during the parade.

Handicapped parking will be at the Lutheran Church of the Risen Savior, 555 S. La Canada.

Parade prizes

The traditionally heavily attended parade will feature the impressive number of entries all vying to capture the attention of the three-judge panel and win the coveted ceramic White Elephant trophies in one of the eight categories.

The categories this year are Special Interest Organizations, Marching Bands, Service and Charitable Organizations, Commercial, Youth Groups, Equestrian, Church and Social, and Marching Units.

GRAND MARSHALS, JUDGES

The parade theme is also reflected in this year’s selection of the grand marshals, who represent local companies dating back more than 45 years, and the judges, who are members of longtime church congregations in the community.

The parade’s grand marshals for 2009 are John Broderick, vice president and general manager of Freeport-McMoRan Sierrita Inc., and Deborah Walden Ralls, director of marketing and sales for Farmers Investment Co.

Parade judges are Al Bernardi of Our Lady of Valley Catholic Church, Annie Coutcher of the Green Valley Community Church, and R. Bruce Elam of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Parade emcees are Joey Lessa of KGVY radio and Regina Ford of the Green Valley News and Sun.

Throughout the festivities at the Green Valley Village and Continental Shopping Plaza, you’ll find bargain sidewalk sales, dozens of booths, including arts and crafts, sidewalk sales, entertainment and plenty of food.

Extra help

For those who need assistance during the three-day fair activities Thursday through Saturday at the Green Valley Village, Comfort Keepers will be offering free wheelchair transportation with a free personal Comfort Keeper escort assigned to take you in and around the booths in the Village. Comfort Keepers will also provide free bottled water. To schedule a wheelchair, call 399-1092 or visit Comfort Keeper offices in Building 5, suite No. 36-1 in the Green Valley Village.

The Country Fair White Elephant thrift Store, 601 N. La Canada, will be closed Saturday so that the CFWE volunteers and staff can join in the parade fun.

MIDNIGHT MADNESS IS PART OF THE FUN

By Karen Walenga, Green Valley News

A festive day of special entertainment and shopping will mark the start of Country Fair White Elephant Days this year.

At Green Valley’s White Elephant shop, 601 N. La Canada Drive, Midnight Madness Green Valley Style runs Thursday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the new building.

“Since March, we’ve been saving the best of the best in ladies’ clothing” specifically for Midnight Madness, says event chairwoman, Sandy Wray.

Shoppers will find designer clothing, including fur coats, dress coats and holiday attire that Wray says is “over and above the normal quality” found year-round at the resale shop.

Look for glitzy, glamorous apparel — such as floor-length and street-length gowns — in sizes petite to extra large.

“If you need to spruce up your wardrobe, you’ve got to be here,” Wray says, adding that shoppers should be able to find a new holiday outfit for $40 or less among the 11 racks of clothing.

The store also will offer a large selection of men’s clothing, designer purses and hats, about 200 pairs of new or barely worn ladies’ shoes and two tables of tennis shoes with little or no wear.

The store that day will be open its regular hours, 9 a.m. to noon, then close until 3 p.m. so volunteers can put up festive decor, bring in the special clothing and prepare for the busy afternoon ahead.

Wray notes that lines of shoppers start forming well before 3 p.m. She estimates that more than 300 people were waiting to enter last year, when Midnight Madness sales totaled nearly $10,000 for three hours.

The success of this sale, now in its sixth year, is due in part to about 80 White Elephant volunteers who go over and above their normal work week, including Midnight Madness co-chairwoman Terri Anderko, Wray says.

“They are worth their weight in gold,” she said.

2009 COUNTRY FAIR WHITE ELEPHANT PARADE LINEUP

1. Pima County Sheriffs Dept. Force

2. Pima Count Sheriff’s Mounted Posse

3. Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteers/40 F. Command Post

4. Green Valley Fire District

5. Boy Scout Troop #301

6. Grand Marshals

7. White Elephant Trucks

8. Fleet Reserve Assoc. Green Valley Branch #77

9. Sahuarita NJROTC

10. United States Submarine Veterans - Tucson Base

11. Sahuarita High School Marching Band

12. Green Valley American Legion Post #66

13. Santa Cruz Valley Car Nuts

14. Knights of Columbus, 4th Degree

15. Magnor Family horses

16. Arivaca 4-H Club

17. Casa de Esperanza

18. Friends in Deed

19. American Legion Madera Post #131, Green Valley

20. The Pride of Nogales Marching Band

21. Old Pueblo Miata Club

22. Ballet Continental and Young Artists’ Community Ballet Academy

23. McNeely Financial Services, Inc

24. Good Shepherd United Church of Christ

25. Chapter EJ - P.E.O.

26. Power from the Past

27. Arca Construction, LLC

28. Continental School Builders Club

29. Town of Sahuarita

30. Rio Rico High School Marching Band

31. GV Tap Dancers Club

32. Green Valley Lions and LaConoa Lions

33. Jazzercise

34. Green Valley Recreation

35. The Villages of Green Valley

36. Arizona Chung Do Kwan

37. Santa Rita Nursing & Rehab Center

38. Southern Arizona PT Cruiser and Prowler Club

39. American Cancer Society Relay for life of Green Valley/Sahuarita

40. Continental Colt Band

41. Green Valley/Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce

42. Marine Corps League #1126

43. Ray High School Marine Corps JROTC

44. Santa Cruz Valley Chapter - Military Order of World Wars

45. Continental Parent/Teacher Club

46. Green Valley Aquabelles

47. AAUW

48. The Animal League of Green Valley

49. Green Valley Assistance Services

50. Anza Trail Coyote Band

51. St. Andrew’s Children’s Clinic

52. American Business Women’s Assoc.

53. BAJA Sports League

54. NARFE (National Active and Retired Federal Employees)

55. Serrs Towing, Inc.

56. Rapid Sound Imaging, Inc.

57. G.V. Masonic Lodge #71 and Eastern Star #71 of Green Valley

58. Sabbar Shrine

59. Ladies Oriental Shrine of N.A., Oasis Court #75

60. Shadows Middle School Band

61. Great Expectations Academy

62. Combined Community Food Banks

63. K.A.R.E. Family Center, Arizona Children Association

64. Titan Missile Museum

65. Cub Scout Pack 321

66. Green Valley Community Church

67. Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office

68. Parkinson’s Support Group of Green Valley/Sahuarita

69. The Optimist Club of Green Valley/Sahuarita

70. Wade Carpenter Middle School

71. National Auto Glass

72. United Community Health Center

73. Green Valley/Sahuarita Scooter Club

74. Elephant Head Volunteer Fire Department

75. The Salvation Army

76. Helmet Peak Volunteer Fire Dept.

77. Our Lady of the Valley Italian Catholic Federation

78. Sahuarita Rotary Club

79. Sahuarita Middle School Band

80. Sahuarita Unified School District

81. Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold

82. U.S. Border Patrol

83. Minute Man Civil Defense Corps - Green Valley

84. Sonora Desert Off Road Center

85. Arivaca Fire Department

86. Border Land Food Bank

87. PAWS Patrol

88. Valley Dolls Red Hats/Spunky’s Clowns

89. Two Girls Pizzeria

90. The Giggle Machine

91. Sahuarita Elks #2851

92. Greater Green Valley Community Foundation

93. Knights of Pythias

94. Luna’s Towing

95. Arizona Choral Society

96.Escaramuza Flor De Primavera

97. Sahuarita Baptist Church

98. Teen Challenge of Arizona’s Springboard

99. Charles Mingus Hometown Jazz Festival

100. Sahuarita Community 4-H Club

101. Sun Bank

102. Rock Church

103. Fletcher Organ Studio

104. Cub Scout Pack 328

105. Community Performing Arts Center

106. White Elephant People Mover