TRAER – The 2026 Winding Stairs Festival grand parade took place last Saturday, Aug. 8, beginning at 4 p.m. Glorious weather provided the perfect backdrop for the festival’s “Harvest the Fun” theme. Longtime Traer residents Jared and Marilyn Bauch were the parade grand marshals. Parade winners this year included Pied Piper Preschool and Child Care’s ‘Gather and Grow at Pied Piper’ float in first place; Rugged Edge Cuts and the Finzen family, including Steve the mini mule and fainting goats Daisy and Duke, in second place; and Mitch Wieben in his America 250-bedecked 1961 John Deere combine which (impressively!) augers candy out of the spout, in third place. For a summary of the festival weekend written by local columnist and North Tama Alumni Banquet emcee Sean Dengler click here.