Bok Kai parade grand marshal
After a lifetime of spectating at the Bok Kai parade, Mary Langsdorf will experience the event from the other side. Langsdorf will serve as the representative for Frank M. Booth Inc., chosen to be the grand marshal for the 140th annual Bok Kai parade on Saturday.
“I’m super excited -- it’s just a great honor,” Langsdorf said.
The grand marshal of the parade is chosen by the the Bok Kai parade committee and the Chinese Community on an alternating basis.
“We chose Frank M. Booth due to their countless time and effort and support to the event,” said Bok Kai Parade Chairperson Candice Young Fresquez.
Langsdorf will ride in a car along the parade route, accompanied by her two daughters Libby and Gracie. She said participating in the parade with her kids is a full-circle moment.
“I’ve taken my daughters to the parade so it’s neat to be on the other end,” Langsdorf said.
Langsdorf’s connection to the parade started in childhood, from watching the parade with her sister Jackie Sillman when they were kids, to playing the trumpet in the parade with her primary schools band and then growing up and having her first child days after attending the parade.
Sillman said she remembers watching the parade with newborn baby Mary at the pharmacy where their mom worked.
“I think she’s literally gone every year, and now that she has her children she goes with them as well,” Sillman said.
Sillman said she won’t be able to attend this year’s parade in person, but said she’s proud of her sister for continuing the tradition and serving as a role model for her daughters.
“She’s the Marysville girl,” Sillman said. “Being the grand marshal, it brought it full circle.”
Filled with pride for her hometown, Langsdorf said she’s excited to pass along Marysville history, such as the Bok Kai parade, to her daughters.
“It was just neat to be a kid once, and to turn around and see your kids do the same thing,” Langsdorf said.
She said she’s excited to see all of the sounds and colors of the parade, culminating in her favorite part, the 75-foot dragon which concludes the event.
“They always put on a good show with the dragon,” Langsdorf said.
The 140th annual Bok Kai parade is Saturday, February 22, at 11 a.m. at Sixth and D streets, Marysville.