Screaming for Ice Cream, Ice Cream Days, Le Mars

A pet pooch keeps its “eye on the ball” or ice cream wrapper during the Ice Cream Days parade Saturday, June 18, 2022 in Le Mars, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

A annual Siouxland community celebration is the Ice Cream Days in Le Mars. Wells Enterprises is the located there and the maker of Blue Bunny Ice Cream.

A Blue Bunny “bunny’ mobile snakes its way down a main drag during the Ice Cream Days parade Saturday, June 18, 2022 in Le Mars, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

A small marching band steps in cadence as they await their turn to play during the Ice Cream Days parade Saturday, June 18, 2022 in Le Mars, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

A number of floats, mostly ice cream related, travel along the parade route. And a big hit is when the Blue Bunny folk go by and hand out frozen ice cream sandwiches. Even at 10 a.m. who can refuse such a treat. But one crowd favorite every year are the go carts driven by a Shriners group as they raucously careen up and down the street performing maneuvers and spinning out and often times laying rubber.

A young girl covers her ears right of the Shriners’ go-cart during the Ice Cream Days parade Saturday, June 18, 2022 in Le Mars, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

During any parade Shriners’ go-cart performances are always a big attraction even with the noise created by the whine of the many engines seen during the Ice Cream Days parade Saturday, June 18, 2022 in Le Mars, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Another large contingent of floats this year was a family reunion. There were four floats, each filled with maybe 15-20 people per each one, meaning it was a large family and ever larger family reunion once all the kids, grandkids, etc. were added in. For a Saturday morning, it’s a nice way to start one’s summer weekend. Everyone screams for ice cream.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

The first of four parade floats containing a large family gathering reunion join in during the Ice Cream Days parade Saturday, June 18, 2022 in Le Mars, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Tractors are always a big hit during any parade and are present at the Ice Cream Days parade Saturday, June 18, 2022 in Le Mars, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

A girl anticipates the balloon creation she will get from a clown at the Ice Cream Days parade Saturday, June 18, 2022 in Le Mars, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

A girl smiles at the balloon creation a clown gave her at the Ice Cream Days parade Saturday, June 18, 2022 in Le Mars, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

A Summer’s Day in Siouxland, Le Mars

I was planning on getting to the Plymouth County Fair this past week but sometimes plans don’t always happen. The day I intended to go I had lunch with friends, then dealt with some errands that needed attention and by the time I was ready to head out, the day was already afternoon and I decided spending money just to get into the fair for maybe a couple of hours, wasn’t worth the venture, since I had to be up early the next morning for a photo shoot.

So instead I headed to the site of the fair, Le Mars, Iowa, and consoled myself for missing it by getting an ice cream cone from the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlour and then walking about town a bit, enjoying a beautiful summer’s day in Siouxland with blue sky, puffy white clouds, warmth, not much humidity and a tranquility that I remember from childhood. Other visits I would check out the alleys and see if there were new murals added, but this time I just walked. I went to visit the local museum, but it was closed for the week for the fair.

Sometimes plan go awry, and the results are not pleasant, but my plans for the fair ended up being better than a fair day and enjoying the moment.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

Ice cream stautues punctuate the downtown and some of the surrounding area as a reminder of Wells Dairy, home of Blue Bunny Ice Cream located in Le Mars, Iowa, Friday, July 29, 2016. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Clouds populate the sky on a picturesque summer’s day in downtown Le Mars, Iowa, Friday, July 29, 2016. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Clouds seem to blanket the sky on a picturesque summer’s day in rural Plymouth County, Iowa, Friday, July 29, 2016, on state highway K64. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

You just have to scream for Ice Cream Days in SIouxland, Le Mars

This weekend I visited Le Mars, Iowa, for the Ice Cream Days parade in Siouxland. Wells Enterprises is located in Le Mars, and produces Blue Bunny ice cream. It also has an ice cream parlor downtown. The parade is just what one would expect in a small town. Lots of floats, people lining the streets to watch, and then yelling at those they know in the parade. Parades in small towns is one large, almost family, affair. They are just fun and after it was over, well, there was ice cream waiting to be eaten.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

People enjoyed the variety of floats during the Ice Cream Days parade in Le Mars, Iowa, Friday, June 20, 2015. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

The Shriners auto patrol made a smokey appearance as they performed during the Ice Cream Days parade in Le Mars, Iowa, Friday, June 20, 2015. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

There were different sized entries during the Ice Cream Days parade in Le Mars, Iowa, Friday, June 20, 2015. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

People lined the streets for the thrown candy and to see the variety of floats during the Ice Cream Days parade in Le Mars, Iowa, Friday, June 20, 2015. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

A variety of floats entertained attendees during the Ice Cream Days parade in Le Mars, Iowa, Friday, June 20, 2015. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

The Le Mars Gehlen Catholic Marching Band participated in the Ice Cream Days parade in Le Mars, Iowa, Friday, June 20, 2015. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Fire trucks led the Ice Cream Days parade in Le Mars, Iowa, Friday, June 20, 2015. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Friends watched a variety of floats during the Ice Cream Days parade in Le Mars, Iowa, Friday, June 20, 2015. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Families hung out along the street during the Ice Cream Days parade in Le Mars, Iowa, Friday, June 20, 2015. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

A variety of floats entertained attendees during the Ice Cream Days parade in Le Mars, Iowa, Friday, June 20, 2015. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

It’s all about the products that make and become ice cream during the Ice Cream Days parade in Le Mars, Iowa, Friday, June 20, 2015. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

A variety of floats entertained attendees during the Ice Cream Days parade in Le Mars, Iowa, Friday, June 20, 2015. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)