By Kari Lucin, staff writer

NEW RICHLAND &045; Parents and grandparents raced after their kids Saturday morning, trying to keep up as the kiddie parade zoomed through downtown as part of New Richland Farm & City Days.

&8220;It’s great!&8221; said Mikayla Besser, 8, of New Richland. &8220;I like everything about it.&8221;

The kiddie parade was one of many events tailor-made for kids at Farm & City Days, and though rain threatened to dampen the festive spirit Saturday, folks simply waited it out under awnings and overhangs. Car owners wiped down vintage cars and antique trucks after the rain ended and &8220;Singin’ in the Rain&8221; played on the speakers near the show.

The kids were ready to go for the Parade on Wheels at 11 a.m., but waited 15 minutes or so to start after someone checked the weather bulletin and found that the rain wasn’t going to last. Bikes decorated with streamers and posterboards and a few small vehicles with engines &045; one very growly and noisy &045; set out from New Richland City Hall toward the park at a fast pace.

When the parents managed to catch up at the park, Farm & City Days organizers had more fun planned for them too, with gunny sack races, egg races and silly games that involved parents, siblings and small children too.

Sylvia Dodge of New Richland had five great-grandchildren playing in the games.

&8220;It’s good to see how many people come,&8221; said Dodge. &8220;It’s good to see the younger generation involved.&8221;

For one of the games, moms put on blindfolds while kids stood in a circle and walked around them for a while. When the time was up, moms had to find their kids without taking off the blindfolds, and kids were only allowed to call out &8220;Mom!&8221; and nothing else. Plenty of moms bumped into each other, laughed, and moved on, finding their kids with surprising ease.

Dads followed up on the moms’ act, and took their turn blindfolded. They too had a pretty easy &045; and laughter-filled &045; time distinguishing their own children from everybody else’s.

&8220;I like the bunny hopping,&8221; said Brady Agrimson, 5, of the games in the park.

Agrimson, a New Richland native, was looking forward to going on the rides at the carnival in the middle of the blocked-off downtown. There, the delicious scents of funnel cakes, popcorn chicken and other carnival treats had already begun to waft through the air by 11 a.m., even though the carnival wasn’t really open for business yet.

Some adults came that morning just for the car show.

Corey Radloff of Waterville brought his 1964 Chevrolet custom truck, painted a brilliant green color. The car was once black, but Radloff explained that it was really his 9-year-old son’s car, and the boy really liked green.

&8220;This is what my wife picked out,&8221; Radloff said. &8220;I never really was a green fan.&8221;

A little Elvis Presley statue seemed to be the mascot for a red 1951 Chevrolet. Like everything else, the statue got a bit wet from Saturday morning’s rain.

&8220;Elvis don’t mind it at all,&8221; said Ron Weise, owner of both the car and the Elvis.

And judging from the crowds Saturday, hardly anyone else did either.