For Mark and Valerie Watson, visiting from Rosemary, Alberta, it was their first chance to see the parade, which included 208 floats entered by law enforcement agencies, political parties, local businesses, schools and clubs.

The agreeable Canadians said they visited the State Fair on the first day of the fair on Friday and enjoyed watching their 3-year-old granddaughter, Alexis Woodruff, go on all the rides.

“We got rained out,” said Valerie Watson, but that was all right because it gave them time to go into the animal barns to see the animals.

Mark Watson thought the mini doughnuts were more expensive than he is used to. An order of mini doughnuts cost him about $7, while the mini doughnuts at a fair in Alberta might run about $3. But Mark Watson said that was just fine too.

Eloise Ogden/MDN World War II veteran Lynn Aas, 96, of Minot, grand marshal of the North Dakota State Fair Parade, waves a flag as he passes by the crowd watching the parade on Burdick Expressway Saturday morning. Family members rode with him in a vehicle owned and driven by Vance Castleman of Minot. Other family members walked behind the vehicle. Aas recently received France’s highest honor, the Knight of the Legion Honor medal, a medal paying tribute to the soldiers who did so much for France and Western Europe.

The Watsons are impressed by how well organized everything is and how friendly people in Minot have been.

A woman sitting next to the Watsons complained about the musical acts at the State Fair.

“It’s all country,” she told him. Mark Watson said he likes to dance to country music.

Their granddaughter Alexis, who lives in Minot with her parents, enjoyed collecting some of the candy along the parade route and was personally greeted by a dog mascot.

Kalden Cain, 4, of Glenburn, and Khaleesi Bellisle, 3, from Minot, were momentarily distracted from the parade floats and the candy when they saw a helicopter overhead.

Andrea Johnson/MDN The Minot Air Force Base Honor Guard marched in the North Dakota State Fair Parade.

The kids were open-mouthed with excitement and had to point it out to Kalden’s dad, Brandon Cain. Then they turned their attention back to the parade floats, which included clowns and lots of people handing out candy.

Brandon Cain, who was sitting by Khaleesi and her mother, Kaitlyn Godejohn, said the kids will get to enjoy the State Fair this week too.

Andrea Johnson/MDN The Minot City Band had a float in the North Dakota State Fair Parade.

Andrea Johnson/MDN North Dakota Clowns had a float in the North Dakota State Fair Parade on Saturday.