Main Attraction: Downtown Parade Draws Crowd

Patrons lined Main and Heighe Streets more than 30 minutes before Friday's parade to honor the grand opening of Bel Air's Bobcat Stadium. Although the football team was the main attraction of the evening, many of the people in attendance may have their own chance to use the field at Bel Air High School.

"This [facility] is a community facility. Starting this weekend parks and rec will be on the field using it. … It is truly a community-based facility," Principal Joe Voskuhl said.

Chief of Police Leo Matrangola drove the lead vehicle, a police car, in the half-hour parade, and was followed closely by none other than Voskuhl in the back of a open-top Jeep.

Commissioners David Carey, Robert Preston and Robert Reier rode in a convertible driven by their colleague Edward Hopkins. Fifth commissioner Terence Hanley was next in line steering a John Deere tractor through downtown with Bel Air's junior varsity field hockey team in the back wagon.

"The girls on the back of the wagon were louder than the tractor. I think by far we were the most lively float here in the parade," Hanley said.

Voskuhl was proud to see the town turn out so well for the pre-game event.

"You had a lot of people on Main Street, you had businesses, you had the town commissioners there," he said. "It was really great to see everybody out supporting the high school tonight."

Hanley agreed.

"It's just unbelievable, overwhelming to see this crowd show up tonight support this stadium, this school and the student body," the Commissioner said.

The parade concluded around 7 p.m. as hundreds lined up to enter the stadium for its second game.

Led by Dezmon Hall, the Bobcats officially opened the new facility with a 45-0 victory over Harford Tech.

Download the movie

Download the movie