Dancers from the Indianapolis Chinese Community Center.
Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:
This year marked the sixth time my wife and I attended the Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade in downtown Indianapolis. It’s an annual date-day tradition for us —- partly to see the floats and high school marching bands, partly for the famous names and partly because I love the sight of a bustling downtown Indianapolis. The next six entries (to be posted over the next few days as quickly as time and attention span permit) represent a fraction of the pics my wife and I snapped. In many cases, encores and additional takes of specific subjects may be available if anyone out there is interested in seeing more, or is looking for a loved one who was in one of the many marching bands that day. For first-time MCC visitors, please note my wife and I are relative amateurs, absolutely not trained professional photographers, sharing these from a hobbyist standpoint because fun and joy.
In this entry: parade participant potpourri! Organizations and teams who didn’t ride in on a float or bring any musical instruments with them; random vehicles that showed up and rode along; and a few outtakes from previous entries that I just couldn’t let go.
(As always, photos are clickable for enlargement and resolution and such.)
Police motorcyclists, an annual staple, whose giant letters spell I-N-D-I-A-N-A-P-O-L-I-S-5-0-0.
Mounted police, without any giant red letters glued to the horses’ heads because that would get heavy after a while.
The Nationalities Council always wears the best outfits and costumes.
After we took this additional Nationalities Council shot, a few of them took out their phones to take photos of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument as they approach Monument Circle. Common phenomenon during every 500 Festival Parade right around this stretch.
The Nationalities Council rear guard had the good foresight to bring parasols for shade.
Ballet Folklorico Mosaicos! Because anyone who tells you Indianapolis has no culture either isn’t looking hard enough or is a disaffected teen.
More reps from Ballet Folklorico Mosaicos, more presiding than dancing.
The Indianapolis Chinese Community Center usually brings a pair of dynamic dragons to show us what we’re missing every Chinese New Year.
The Crispus Attucks High School Cheerleading Team. Their 1955 winning basketball were at the 2015 500 Festival Parade as its grand marshals.
The Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders brought some of their tiny proteges.
Once again, as in every year, the OneAmerica Walking Flag.
Giant gearshift. Not sure why.
Boyle Racing brings a vintage Diamond T racecar hauler, hauling a racecar.
Ernie Pyle Post No. 1120 vintage firetruck.
Alien spaceship! In lieu of Star Wars cosplayers, who were conspicuously absent this year.
This Penske moving truck is always the last vehicle in the parade. The annual caboose, so to speak. That’s how you know it’s time to race back to your car and escape downtown before thousands of other citizens turn the streets into hours of gridlock.
Each of the eleven rows of qualifying Indy 500 competitors were driven in Camaros, one row at a time. Row 9 — Matt Brabham, Graham Rahal, and Pippa Mann — gave us our best shot of an entire row in a single frame.
Alternate shot of your 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner, rookie Alexander Rossi, sharing a moment of monument photography time with his companion.
Hoosiers director David Anspaugh also getting in on the monument photography movement. Honestly, I could do a bonus entry with nothing but photos of parade participants photographing the monument.
Chicago Med star Nick Gehlfuss receives a boost from his waving assistant.
Driving a modified float-car behind the Firestone float, this guy will pay you fifty bucks not to tell anyone you saw him here.
Eighth-place finisher Scott Dixon with his wife, Welsh athlete Emma Davies. My favorite “couple” photo of the day.
To be concluded! Links to other chapters in this annual MCC miniseries are listed below. Follow us on Facebook or via email signup for new-entry alerts, or over on Twitter if you want to track my TV live-tweeting and other signs of life between entries. Thanks for stopping by!
Part 1: The 33 Drivers in Your Starting Lineup
Part 2: This Year’s Guests
Part 3: Marching Bands!
Part 4: Floats and Balloons
Part 6: Before the Music
Midlife Crisis Crossover! 
Just FYI, look into hot rod legend Linda Vaughn regarding the Hurst shifter. She was Miss Hurst, a calendar girl you might say. She was in the parade car following I believe. The huge shifter was a moving stage for photo ops back in the day.
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Thanks for the backstory! My wife and I were wondering and had no clue.
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