The second Autumnfest parade takes to the streets of Bismarck at 10 a.m. today with promises of being bigger and better than the inaugural run last year.

Coordinator Scott Johnson expects nearly 150 units in the parade to gather on the Capitol grounds, then head south on Sixth Street, taking a right on Avenue C to Fifth, where the units will return southward until they reach Kirkwood Mall.

Johnson had been hoping to have more vendors participate in this year's events, but a busy schedule precluded him from putting this together. There will be a few vendors on Broadway, just off Fifth Street.

"We're going to have a lot of music this year, at least 13 bands of some sort," Johnson said. "Century High's band and its color guard will be leading the parade."

Other school bands participating are Bismarck High; St. Mary's; Wachter, Simle and Horizon middle schools; Mandan High; and New Salem High.

"I've really been learning a lot about bands and their placement," Johnson said. "I'm learning what order you have to put them in, and that you have to space them out so they don't overlap."

With the United Tribes Parade of Champions having been washed out by heavy rain two weeks ago, a few of the units that had planned to be in that parade have opted for Autumnfest.

"We're going to have beauty queens, the police posse, a miniature airplane created by T.K. Kline, tractors, the Dusters' antique cars and a customized high-performance Jeep, just to name a few of the units," Johnson said.

Since it isn't an election year, there won't be any politicians slowing the parade down as they greet the public.

"I think it's going to be pretty efficient and it should be done in about an hour and a half," Johnson said. "This is going to be a really neat, community-based parade."

It appears the weather will cooperate, with the National Weather Service calling for mostly sunny skies, light winds and a high of 83 today in Bismarck-Mandan.