Gift of the Waters Parade Saturday

The deadline to get your entry in for the 2020 Gift of the Waters Parade is today, Thursday, July 30. The parade is set for Saturday, Aug. 1 at 10 a.m.

The theme this year is “We are survivors!” Entries can be turned in at the Thermopolis-Hot Springs Chamber.

Categories include: Individual, Business, Organization, Kids 13-18, Kids up to 12 and Pets/Animals. All entries will be judged on theme, appearance and originality. Certificates will be given to winners in each category and the over winner will receive $100 in Chamber Bucks.

Per parade insurance requirements, no candy or handouts are to be tossed from floats or vehicles. They can be handed to spectators.

The Annual Gift of the Waters Pageant will not be held this year due to COVID-19.

Barb Vietti, head of the organization, said it is out of concern for the elders of the Shoshone Tribe that the decision was made to cancel this year. Spectator numbers were an additional reason as the state will only allow limited number of people at gatherings.

“We were worried for the health and safety of the elders,” Vietti said. “So many of them have participated each year and with the pandemic we would rather they stay home and be safe.”

This is only the second time in the Pageant’s 50-plus-year run that it has been cancelled, with the first time being due to two days of torrential rain.

The Pageant is an historic celebration filled with music, dance and camaraderie between two nations. While not a re-enactment, it does commemorate the agreement between the U.S. Government and Shoshone Chief Washakie in 1897.