Dancing with the dragon in Marysville

Yuba City's Skyler Heinz emerged from a heavy cloud of white smoke Saturday morning dancing with a dragon.

As the Bok Kai Festival Parade's dancing dragons moved down D Street, the 10-year-old weaved his way through throngs of other children scrambling for hard candy in downtown Marysville to keep up with his favorite legendary animal.

"There's a lot of things that are my favorite, but the dragons are the most favorite," Skyler explained. "I'm a really big fan of dragons."

Skyler followed the dancing dragons along D Street for several blocks, passing hundreds of people who filled the streets for the 133rd annual Bok Kai Parade.

The two-hour parade featured dozens of floats, fireworks, marching bands, police cars, antique fire trucks, a hostess and a grand marshal.

Dozens of families watched the parade on the grass outside the Bok Kai Temple, enjoying picnic lunches of whole-roasted pigs and noodles and getting a big bang out of smaller smoky fireworks.

Hundreds waited in line to visit the 133-year-old temple, said to be one of the oldest Chinese temples in America.

Dragons were also the main attraction for Marysville brothers David and Michael Price.

"The tigers were really cool, too, but I want to see if they're having a big snake or dragon," older brother David said. "It's probably going to be a dragon, but maybe it should be a snake because it's the Year of the Snake."

The boys' mother, Tonya Price, enjoyed the parade's color and atmosphere. She said it's a great chance for her children to learn about other cultures.

"I'm the Year of the Monkey," Michael, 9, said.

"I'm the Year of the Snake," David, 11, noted.

Dragons and fireworks weren't the only attraction for Yuba City friends Natalie Stafano, 9, and Isabella Vorderman, 10.

"Mostly, I like the candy!" Natalie explained.

Natalie's mother, Kelly O'Rourke, grew up in Marysville.

"It's unique," O'Rourke said. "You just don't find a lot of things like this anywhere else."