The worst Parade Ever!

I know the title sounds depressing, judgmental and negative - but it is true.
Needless to say I was very disappointed. :(

You see, I like to make events like this special for the kids and to experience things and just enjoy things. I had it in my mind that we were going to a nearby town for their supposed Parade Festival of Lights. I looked online and it stated they were doing snow sculpture competition things and little things going on all day and from 4:30-6 was the parade of lights.  We were busy during the day, so we planned to just attend the parade. I was so excited about the fun family festive outing we were going to experience.

Well we got into the town and parked close by around 4:30pm just in time, but mind you, it's still not dark yet, dusk, but not dark. So in my mind "they could not be starting yet".
We find a bathroom very close to the happenings of the town. And can see the sculptures on the road and the road blocked off for parade. So we think, we'll stop for bathroom really fast, then walk up towards the parade and look at the cool ice sculptures on our way. Well as we are waiting in the bathroom I notice/hear parade start, so I say, "we have to hurry". So we run up, noticing the all of 5 ice sculptures, and find our spot along the road. We knew we had missed the beginning but thought we still had plenty of parade left. B/c it's a parade of lights afterall and it's just now getting dark enough to appreciate the lights.

So Richard sets up our chairs, we put a blanket over the boys to stay warm and settle in for the long haul. I was psyched thinking this was going to be so special.

I kid you not - one dance group went by us, one truck of lights that handed us tootsie rolls, a chick-fil-a truck that gave us free kid's meals vouchers, and then Santa went by and the parade was over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was heart broken. We had missed the entire parade. I looked at my watch thinking, this cannot be. It was barely 5 oclock, and the lighting of the sky was finally just then perfect for a light parade. But it was all over. All that work of getting the boys bundled, getting the chairs and blankets in the car, out of the car, and set up along the street, for literally 4 things!!!!! Who ever heard of a parade of lights so small and before it's actually dark?????!?!!!!?

Right before the great disappointment

I've never been so disappointed to see Santa at a parade. So so sad!!!!

The boys just sorta sat there and had no idea why we dragged them out there for that, and what the big hype mom was making about this whole parade thing.

Oh well, next year we will definitely go to a different city and try a different Festival of lights. hahaha

So instead, to help our downheartedness about the parade we went to Smashburger for the first time. I loved their sweet potato fries. It was still a fun night out as a family. But boy! What a disappointment of a parade.

Has this happened to anyone else? Does anyone have any funny stories about parades or fun events that turn out lame?