The Brier SeaScare Porchlight Parade brought people together Wednesday evening along a quarter-mile stretch of Brier Road.

The route began near Brier Library and ended at Brier Grocery. The parade’s grand marshal this year was Craig Harris, who has lived in Brier for 35 years. In fact, Harris came up with the idea of the SeaScare parade 22 years ago.

“Fellow Parks Board member Ken Overstreet helped me get everything organized and talk people into doing it, so we had a partnership,” he said.

“This parade, it’s so different than the other parades. Is this what you had in mind?” I asked.

“Yeah, I kind of wanted an organic feel. To have a real small town, community feel to it,” Harris said.

“Why call it SeaScare?” I asked.

With a glimmer in his eyes, Harris said, “Because it kind of sounds like Seafair, but only it’s SeaScare. It’s SeaScare Porchlight Parade (not Seafair Torchlight Parade).”

Preferably, the general theme was to dress up as a sea creature, pirate, octopus or nautical/sea-related entity. But pretty much anything was acceptable. Participants included kiddies on strollers, candy-throwing marchers, unicycle riders, exotic car drivers, musicians, civic leaders, first responders. horse riders – and bringing up the rear: pooper scoopers.

Following the parade, people gathered outside Brier Grocery and Brier Pizza to see who would win a 20-poundish salmon, courtesy of QFC grocery.

Kids then donned plastic garbage bags over their clothes to partake of the always popular pie-eating contest. They surrounded two long tables lined on both sides with pies made of chocolate pudding, a healthy serving of whipped cream,and crust. The rule was simple: The first to eat all ingredients was the winner.

People surrounded the contestants, jockeying to get a good shot with their cameras. Pandemonium ensued, with hooting and hollering and carrying on. And that was just the parents.

There were some who thought they won, but they hadn’t eaten the crust. Finally, a winner emerged triumphant. Give that kid some Pepto!

For the more musically inclined, live rock music played on a stage at Brier Pizza. Sponsors of the event were Brier Realty, PuroClean Northwest, and QFC.

– Story, photos and video by David Carlos