The Cherry Blossom Festival Parade took place in Washington on Saturday, despite the government nearly shutting down.
With the government staying in operation, the parade was allowed to follow its full route. Earlier in the week, a federal budget official said the parade would have to be canceled if the government shut down.
There was a brief setback during the parade when one of the cars caught on fire. The car was heavily damaged and towed. Parade organizers rushed to salvage the event by arranging a shorter route route to avoid federal property.
According to Pam Prim, a social worker visiting from Vermont, saving Washingtons tourism probably factored into the late night budget deal. She says it would have made lots of people angry to cancel the parade.
