Northside Child Development Center students upheld a more than 17-year tradition Thursday morning, as they paraded through the school with hats decorated for the Apple Festival parade.

“Happy Apple hat parade!” students shouted to parents and spectators, who filled the halls of the school.

Among them was parent Sara Klosinski, who took a video of her 4-year-old daughter Danica as she passed through the hallway.

“It makes my heart happy,” Klosinski said. “Last night, she [Danica] was so excited to tell me what was on her hat.”

In the week leading up to the parade, Montessori teacher Donna Dodge said every classroom picked designs for their own hats. T-shirts were also decorated in honor of the parade.

“We all met Tuesday night and the kids stamped T-shirts,” Dodge said. “We wear them today for our in-house parade and for the Youth Parade Saturday.”

On Thursday, students got to display their handcrafted shirts and hats as they winded down the hallways for the parade. The hats featured cuts outs of red and green apples, loads of glitter, drawings and personal designs.

Dodge said Thursday’s parade was a warm up for the Apple Festival Youth Day and Grande Parade, which students both have the opportunity to participate in. The Youth Day parade will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday, with the route beginning at East Side Park.

Since 2010, Northside students have won an award for the most participants in the Youth Day parade. The award also earns them a spot in the Grande Parade, which will take place this year at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30.

This year, Dodge said she accepts to win the spot again and anticipates that between 300 to 425 students and their families will take place in the parade and Youth Day activities this Saturday. 

Each year’s win is added to a display case in the hallway.

Grande Parade goers can expect to see Northside represented by the students during the festival’s annual parade at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29. Students will be riding a tow truck donated by an area business for the cause.   

“It is just a way to give back to the community,” Dodge said. “Apple Festival is huge in this area. There is a lot of excitement and this [the Northside parade] just builds everything up that will happen over the next week and half.”