Early April in Washington, DC means its Cherry Blossom Festival time! Over time, Millinocket has had several groups participating in the gigantic festival parade. They include the Stearns High School band, the Pink Panthers and the Katahdin Rangers Drum & Bugle Corps.
           On March 30, 1954, the Stearns HS band members, majorette and chaperones boarded three Trailways busses and headed for Washington, DC (during a heavy snowstorm). Supper at Vallee’s Steak House in Portland, overnight in New Haven and then on to Philadelphia (saw Independence Hall), then on to Wahington, DC.
 In Washington (two nights), the group toured famous sights including Mt. Vernon & the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Chery Blossom Festival parade took place in the evening with thousands lining the parade route. Each state had a special float. In 1951, the Maine float was sponsored by the Great Northern Paper Company and featured two large paper rolls, stack of pulp wood and small pine trees.
           The next morning, the group was back on the busses headed home. Two nights in NYC allowed for a city tour, Radio City Music Hall performance and more. Finally, back on the busses, a night in Boston and then back to Millinocket.  Â
The Stearns band director was Angelo Tsika (16 years as band director). Stearns principal Roy Hayes, 25 chaperones plus about 60 band members were on the trip.
In the 1963, the Katahdin Rangers Drum & Bugle Corps appeared in the Cherry Blossom parade. This group of junior high & high school age boys was led by William Milliken as manager/director. A color guard (young ladies) had Jean Simon as the captain. This group was organized in 1959. The museum has photos showing the group posing on the US Capitol steps.
A third group, the Pink Panthers Color Guard and Drill Team made at least two appearances in Washington, DC as part of the Cherry Blossom parade (1973 & 1979). They were an all-girl unit. They took 4th place in 1979 competing against over 50 units.
MHS has photos of all three of these talented groups. A mannequin clad with a Pink Panthers uniform (her name is Dorothy) and another mannequin with a Katahdin Rangers uniform (her name is Elaine because we only had a female mannequin at the time we acquired the uniform) are on display. We have several additional Katahdin Rangers jackets and a second Pink Panthers uniform. A Stearns HS band uniform is still wanted!
