Saturday, October 16, 1999

Everybody loves a riverboat parade

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The gang's finally all here, chugging into the weekend

BY JANE PRENDERGAST
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The massive American Queen passes under the Suspension Bridge in Friday's parade. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

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        Invite a million people to a party. Expect a crowd. Tall Stacks '99 started Wednesday, but really cranked up Friday.

        The three Queens — the American, Mississippi and Delta — steamed into port. Tour buses brought every imaginable kind of senior citizens' group — retired teachers, University of Cincinnati alumni, church deacons.

        Thousands of people lined every nook and cranny along the riverfront to watch the 19 boats parade in the afternoon sun.

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        It was like Hollywood came to Cincinnati to make a movie about the steamboat era and everybody and their brother was an extra — with binoculars, cameras and bags of souvenirs.

        “Where else can you get something like this?” said Bill Sudkamp, who drove in from Indianapolis. “Nowhere.”

        Attendance figures still were unavailable. Organizers said they will be released after the event. But the change in pace Friday was obvious.

The Mississippi Queen passes under the Suspension Bridge. (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

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        Police officers who stood quietly at their intersections earlier in the week were hard at work Friday, directing cars here and buses there. Cincinnati's sidewalks were full of people. Thirsty and hungry guests stood in growing lines for their snacks, T-shirts and wooden whistles on the riverfront.

        “But most, if not all, have smiles on their faces,” said Karen Bender, marketing director. “We've seen a good event so far.”

        Lorene Owens and her husband, Alfred, drove eight hours from Buffalo, N.Y., to catch the steamboats in action. She sat and sipped a Coke while he just had to get closer to the bagpipers.

        “Beautiful weather, beautiful boats,” she said. “We wouldn't have missed it for anything.”

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