Parade, outhouse races draw crowds in Southwest City

May 11, 2016 at 5:00 a.m.

by Randy Moll

Photo by Randy Moll Main Street in neighboring Southwest City (Mo.) was the scene of a parade and a downhill run of outhouses during Old Timers’ Day on Saturday. This Main Street fire drill of sorts proved entertaining as outhouse crews from the Southwest City Volunteer Fire Department and the Cornerstone Station raced around their outhouses at a set point along the route.
Photo by Randy Moll Main Street in neighboring Southwest City (Mo.) was the scene of a parade and a downhill run of outhouses during Old Timers’ Day on Saturday. This Main Street fire drill of sorts proved entertaining as outhouse crews from the Southwest City Volunteer Fire Department and the Cornerstone Station raced around their outhouses at a set point along the route.

SOUTHWEST CITY (Mo.) -- Main Street in Southwest City was a busy place on Saturday and parking was scarce as people prepared for the annual Old Timers' Day Parade and a new favorite in recent years, the outhouse races.

At 12:30 p.m. the parade began, led by a band of Civil War soldiers from both North and South and occasional shots from black powder rifles. The parade traveled south through the business district (uphill). There were floats, antique cars and trucks, tractors, horses and riders, and a horse-drawn carriage. Children and adults kept busy gathering up the candy thrown out to spectators as the parade passed by.

Then, just after the parade ended, the street was lined with police tape to keep spectators safe as teams raced down the street (to the north) pulling outhouses complete with a driver on the most important seat of all. The race required a fire drill of sorts at a set point, and each driver and team circled their outhouse three times before the driver returned to his seat and the race resumed.

The race drew cheers and laughs from those on the sidelines and sidewalks as the single seaters sped by and sometimes wobbled from side to side, causing fears an outhouse might be overturned and create somewhat of a mess on the street.

Community on 05/11/2016