Carriage parade thrills audience

Five-year-old Johnna O'Gassian stood at the edge of Broad Street with her parents, John and Paula O'Gassian, and two siblings Saturday, watching horses and carriages pass her by.

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Then came a sight that surprised her, she said.

"I saw two goats," she said, holding up two little fingers.

The O'Gassians, of Aiken, were among hundreds of people who lined streets downtown for the 14th annual Augusta Horse and Carriage Parade.

The parade featured mostly brown and black horses, mules and ponies trotting in pairs or singles pulling a variety of decorated carts.

Mrs. O'Gassian said she and her family enjoyed the event.

"We just moved down here from Worcester, Mass., and this was a great thing to do," she said. "We saw a full set of Percherons all fancy-dressed pulling a fire wagon with a Dalmatian dog in it. We saw cowboys and Indians. The kids loved it."

Stephanie White said she and her son Howard, 3, liked the old coffin-style carriage with a glass side.

"And there were all the cute, little, teeny-weeny horses," Mrs. White said.

"I liked the ponies the best," Howard said.

Ernie Pearson, of Land Shark Catering, was one of several vendors at the Victorian Village, a festival with food and craft vendors and children's activities along Augusta Common.

"This was fun, very enjoyable. It was family oriented," he said.

After the parade, Diana Saunders, of Martinez, took her daughter Khamrynn, 1, to the play at the Village. She said the parade was her daughter's first.

"She was waving at all the big, pretty horses. We loved it, especially the big bull," she said, laughing. "It was just walking along. Someone was riding a bull like it was a horse."

Reach C. Samantha McKevie at (706) 823-3552 or samantha.mckevie@augustachronicle.com.

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