Batman on roller blades, a vacuum cleaner drill team and a phantom marching band were part of the silliness of the virtual parade that was a microcosm of the Ginkgo festival in downtown Ames last weekend.

“Great, everything was great, great, great,” said Rich Harter, executive director of the Ames Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The Kreature Park had around 400 to 500 kids in the morning. For a first year event we did a good job. The virtual parade was probably the hit of the festival.”

Families went to the downtown area on Saturday to witness the virtual parade. The parade was two blocks long and didn’t look like other parades. People could watch the stationary drill team “do drills in swivel chairs.”

Susan Teas, office manager of Ames stationers, said. “We did clicking routines with staplers and we have a genuine stamp licker.”

A life-size cardboard cutout of Marilyn Monroe held a pose for about an hour with a blue cape draped over her shoulders as she sat in the front seat of a sky blue 1975 Chevrolet. Along with the cars was a 1965 Mustang with saddle bags in the passenger seat and a bridle on the driver’s side.

A phantom regiment, made up of 29 shakos, played silently. The large fuzzy hats that are usually worn by marching band members were assembled on the street in a formation of seven ranks.

“We just brainstormed and came up with these ideas,” Dana Williams, a member on the Board of Directors at Featherstone, said.

The Ginkgo festival had to make way for the rains that came late Saturday afternoon.

“The rains came as the festival was ending and the Midnight Madness run was about to begin,” Harter said. “Unfortunately, we had to move the concert for Paul Wright indoors to City Hall.”

Harter said they will definitely plan for another festival next year. “The committee is 100 percent behind getting it going next year,” he said.