Instead, parade-goers and those in it were treated to a sunny, warm day, filled with floats, family, friends, food and fireworks.

The sun was good news for Randy Halligan, of Gowrie, who designed a pirate ship as a parade float, which won most creative in the parade contest.

While most pirate ships don’t have a problem floating on the water, Halligan was skeptical that his would actually be useful in the event of excessive rains.

“We’ll need a lot of Flex Seal,” he said.

-Messenger photos by Peter Kaspari
Randy Halligan, left, of Gowrie, looks over a pirate ship parade float he created for the Gowrie Independence Day Parade. His niece, Heidi McGuire, looks on at right.

Halligan said he designs a large parade float every year to help raise awareness of the Make a Wish Foundation. He has two relatives — a son and a niece — who have both benefited from the foundation.

It took him quite some time to get the ship ready for the parade.

“Off and on, about six months,” he said. “It’s all hydraulic-driven.”

And once Independence Day ends, Halligan said that’s not the last anyone will see of his pirate ship.

“I’ll keep it,” he said. “Store it away until next year.”

-Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari
Kody Vanvalkenburg, 12, of Fort Dodge, holds on to Leeanna Hutchinson, 2, also of Fort Dodge, as the two of them go down the slide during Gowrie’s Independence Day Celebration Thursday.

In addition to using his float to raise awareness of the Make a Wish Foundation, Halligan said he also creates them for the children.

“It’s all about the kids,” he said. “To entertain them.”

All along the parade route, children could be seen holding plastic bags to catch their free candy that was being tossed out to them.

But one young man decided to use something different — Richard Long, 10, of Somers, held open his backpack and used it to catch all the candy being tossed out.

He said it had one major advantage over a plastic bag.

-Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari
Wearing matching red, white and blue dresses, Tina Womack, right, and her daughter, Julia McCollaugh, 2, of Dayton, look for the perfect place to set up their chairs before the Gowrie Independence Day Parade Thursday.

“It has more pockets,” he said. “So if one fills up, I can use another one.”

Elsewhere along the parade route, Elijah Cooley, 1, of Gowrie, was enjoying his very first Independence Day parade.

He got to see it from the arms of his mother, Master Sgt. Blythe Cooley, a member of the United States Air Force who also marched in the parade.

“He’s enjoying the candy,” she said of her son.

And despite the loud horns of some of the trucks in the parade, the 1-year-old wasn’t bothered by them at all.

-Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari
Huxley Hagar, 5, left, and his brother, Hayes Hagar, 2, both of Fort Dodge, collect all the candy in sight during the Gowrie Independence Day Parade.

“He’s got little headphones on his ear for protection,” Blythe Cooley said.

The same couldn’t be said for William Martz, 3, of Rockwell City, who held onto his mom, Amanda Martz, whenever a truck blew its horn.

While he didn’t like the noises, his mother said the rest of the parade was very entertaining.

“It’s a tradition,” Amanda Martz said. “We’ve come here for the past few years.”

What does she enjoy the most about the parade?

-Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari
Parker Johnson, 18, a rising senior at Southeast Valley High School, operates what may be the smallest parade float during the Gowrie Independence Day Parade Sunday. Johnson is a member of Southeast Valley’s robotics team.

“Our favorite is seeing the Vinchattles and the music float,” she said. “But it’s always a fun time.”

Dean Vinchattle owns In Your Ear Mobile Sound, while his wife, Vicky Vinchattle, owns Vicky’s Dance Academy.

Joe Mundie, of Fort Dodge, brought along his great Dane, Diesel.

“We try to make it every year,” he said of the parade. “We try to bring him (Diesel) places.”

Although he admitted that he wasn’t sure if Diesel would enjoy the parade or not.

“It’s been awhile since we’ve taken him to one,” Mundie said.

Following the parade, guests were welcome to attend a carnival in Gowrie’s city park, while cow pie bingo and other activities were being held in town, concluding Thursday night with a fireworks show.

-Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari
Diesel, a great Dane from Fort Dodge, chills out with his human, Joe Mundie, also of Fort Dodge, just before the Gowrie Independence Day Parade began Thursday.