MARSHFIELD, WI (WSAU-WDLB) — Marshfield’s horse-powered weekend drew lots of spectators for draft horses, tractors and souped-up semi trucks.
The first annual Saturday Night Lights Semi Truck parade coincided with the annual Parish Pull Friday night, and the Central Wisconsin State Fair’s annual draft horse show at Marshfield Fairgrounds Park Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
16 semi trucks mapped out a short parade route from the Fairgrounds and back using Peach, Fourth, Washington, and 29th. Several hundred people lined the parade route, including eight-year-old Aiden Varsho of Marshfield who spoke with WDLB News. “Umm, well, I liked all of it.”
The parade drew mostly local and area drivers, like Dean Goehring of Wisconsin Rapids.
Goering drives a 2015 18-speed, 600-horsepower Kenworth T-800 that’s yellow and white with dark green pinstriping, and lots of lights and lots of chrome. “I just want one of a kind. I just don’t want to be the same as everybody else, be different. It’s pretty much my office, been everywhere besides I stay at ease.”
Saturday nights was the second truck parade Goehring has done. “It was good. It was small but it was fun. I at least got to do the parade and got to have fun with the lights even though most of them are during the day. So it was a fun time and I plan on doing as many as I can.”
Goehring has been driving for six years. He currently drives for Sparhawk Trucking in Wisconsin Rapids but owns his own rig.
As part of the parade, the truck drivers also collected food items and toys and stuffed animals which they donated to local families. Fair officials hope to make the truck parade an annual event.