Is it time to put down the Scottish-Irish Festival?

Or the Scot Fest, as the mayor "correctly" referred to it?

This year's parade started 20 minutes late, was viewed by fewer than 2500 people, and was 30 minutes of action packed into 40 minutes of forced joviality, flop sweat, and despair.

The vast majority of clans were represented by fewer than ten people (when there used to be clan turn-out enough to fill a 53-man roster), there were only eight dogs (not eight dog breeds, eight total dogs) representing "Dogs of the British Isles" (where there used to be hundreds), four bands which traveled any significant distance (and none larger than 30 members), one minor dignitary (remember when the parade included the "Ambassador of Whales" [sic]), and no energy.

[As an aside, here is how to spell "aerospace".  It's one word, not two.  I recognize the people in charge are mostly high-school educated, but remember that at least a few members of your audience went on to community college.]

What needs to change (and won't) is a new announcer, one not so "get off my lawn" about throwing candy (what exactly might happen if a child ran into the street to retrieve it, would his foot get run over by a Travel Pro 3-wheeled scooter), replacement of the sexist and "funny as a crutch" leprechauns, requirement for pipe bands to play something other than "Scotland the Brave", infusion of new blood and non-traditional Scottish or Irish parade components (there is such a thing as playing rock-n-roll on bagpipes, how about Scottish or Irish professional singers, or perhaps a beer garden on wheels?), or otherwise this event will limp to courtesy-50 unless it dies before then of its own accord.

Even though the weather was splendid, out-of-towners and locals alike voted with their feet.  This is a parade, and perhaps an event, that needs to be put down.  The "men in kilts" novelty wore off 20 years ago, the tattoo is an overpriced embarrassment that forces everyone with intact hearing to grit their teeth or give up and leave an hour before it's officially declared over, and the other events at the fairgrounds could easily be replaced by a tractor pull or demolition derby if an excuse to sell overpriced beer is required.

End it, or turn it over to professionals.  The tourists no longer need an excuse to visit Estes Park after Labor Day, and the Scottish-Irish festival shouldn't have to be something the locals excuses make excuses for.  Why exactly did we get jazzed up about this again?  It's dead, except for the "Amazing Grace" dirge.