This parade is always a nice event. My favorite entry is that of the Boumi Temple, and I appreciate that they can highlight all they do for kids. I do have a suggestion for the parade, however. While The Avenue is a public place, this event draws lots of children. Today, a woman decided to stand behind me and smoke. I'm 9 months pregnant and had my 1.5 year old son with me next to friends who had their little kids. I turned around to see where the smoke came from, and she started yelling at me saying it is a public place... I asked her to move because the smoke was coming my way. If people want to end their lives on oxygen tanks and spend thousands a year on cigarettes, I'm not about to take that right away from them, but I wish that for events like this or at Honeygo Park, there would be limits on where people can smoke. People are clearly not being respectful, and cigarette smoke is a drug I would rather my kids and I not share with them. Perhaps The Avenue could create a smoking area and put up signage for future events. If it was just a regular day, we would have walked away from her and other smokers. But since everyone is there in close quarters trying to see the parade, this makes it different.

Nicole, I totally agree with you. And, the behavior of that woman truly exemplifies the low class population that has overrun White Marsh, The Avenue and, quite frankly, most of Baltimore County.

If NYC can ban smoking in Times Square, Baltimore can do something about people who smoke around children at family events and playgrounds.

They really should have banned that flaming baton thing one dance studio brilliantly decided was a good idea.

Then when one of the flaming ends wnet FLYING out from the baton, onto a parade patron's blanket - and taking a couple minutes to put out...what do they do? According to my wife, replace it with another one.

Just brilliant stuff.

I agree with all of you. There were a number of things in this year's parade that could be addressed. The van, the way they handled the batton incident, some of the crowd behavior (i.e. smoking), etc.

I smelled a cigar smoker near me and figured the person was just a heavy smoker and thats why I was smelling it but no he was smoking. I actually waved the air were the smoke was to behind the crowd and he got mad at me and blew the smoke directly in my direction. I walked away to infront of the store next to Starbucks. If I had had children with me I would have asked them to please smoke somewhere else away from the crowd.

I'm sorry to hear that he did that, Jeanne. How "classy" of him. Why can't people be more respectful of others? I would have moved, too, but I there was a group of us, and I'm 9 months pregnant, so we had a nice space with a bench. This woman was being rude as was the guy with the cigar. I like the comment that if other jurisdictions can ban outdoor smoking in public places for events or at parks like Times Square, Baltimore County certainly can.