With candy raining down and bubbles drifting on a warm breeze, sisters Leighton and Blake Walker beamed as brightly as the summer sun during Saturday morning’s Hayden Days parade.

Leighton, 4, and Blake, 2, took in the parade with parents Jessica and Jordan Walker, as well as their grandparents. 

“The girls obviously loved the candy,” said mom Jessica, laughing. “Just to see their smiles and how they light up — there’s no better feeling.” 

The family was among the hundreds who lined Government Way on Saturday morning for the annual Hayden Days parade, which kicked off with a flyover by No Limits Aviation. 

Kids looked up in wonder as the planes soared overhead, including Payton and Arlo Saterfiel, ages 7 and 4, the grandchildren of the late Roger Saterfiel, who served for 16 years on the Hayden City Council and spent 12 years as director of Solid Waste for Kootenai County. 

Near the front of the parade was this year’s grand marshal Ross Welburn, who was honored last year as Hayden’s Distinguished Veteran of the Year. 

Welburn waved to the crowds from behind the wheel of a 1928 Model A Phaeton, with two grandkids along for the ride. 

The classic car pulled a calliope, an instrument that produces sound by sending steam or air through large whistles. The calliope played a lively tune as it rolled down Government Way. 

Members of the Hayden City Council joined Mayor Alan Davis on the parade route, tossing candy to the crowds.  

 “Hayden is a fabulous city to live in and be part of,” Davis said after the parade. 

Athletes with Spotlight Studios wowed the crowd with cheer routines that included flips and tosses, while dancers with Northwest Highland Dancers put on a show. Young skaters with North Idaho Elite Speed Skating glided down the street, passing out candy to children along the route. 

Miss Northern Idaho Teen, Post Falls resident Pyper White, waved to the crowd from atop a vehicle. 

“She’s like a princess,” one mom told her children. 

For the Walker family, Hayden Days was a first. 

“We loved it,” Jessica Walker said. “We can appreciate the small-town feel.” 

Jessica and Jordan Walker said they were glad to have their girls see the parade and to spend time with neighbors at the community event, which featured vendors and family-friendly activities in McIntire Family Park. 

Better yet, with relatives in town for a visit, the family got a chance to share what it’s like to live in Hayden. 

“We wanted to show them our community,” Jessica Walker said. 

    Hayden Mayor Alan Davis tosses candy to the crowd lining Government Way.
  

    Leighton Walker, 4, and Blake Walker, 2, pose as mom Jessica takes a photo during the Hayden Days parade.
  

    Athletes with Spotlight Studios prepare to catch a teammate after a jump along the Hayden Days parade route.
  

    An athlete with Athletes with Spotlight Studios lands safely in the arms of her teammates.
  

    Miss Northern Idaho Teen, Post Falls resident Pyper White, waves to the crowd.
  

    A boy gets an autograph from a first responder with Northern Lakes Fire District during the Hayden Days parade.