North Country Fair 2019 – Sunday 

Jocelyn Gwynn, of Arcata, touched up her face paint before the start of the Samba Parade with help of a mirror and advice from a flower girl.

Fritz Dannhouser, of Arcata, daubed on his own finishing touches after going through the body-paint work station prior to the Samba Parade.

The young flower girls who were to lead the parade loaded up their baskets from a wagon filled with flower blossoms prior to the Samba Parade.

The young flower girls and their team organizer practiced their waves to the crowd prior to the start of the Samba Parade.

The flower girls and Samba da alegria dancers under the direction of Rocia Crystal (foreground) gathered prior to the parade for a group photo in front of Arcata City Hall once their body painting and costumes were ready.

The rhythm section of Samba da Alegria then joined the flower girls and dancers for a group photo in front of Arcata City Hall prior to the parade.

Stiltwalker Shea Freelove teamed up with the flower girls to help spread flower blossoms along the parade route.

The Samba da Alegria dancers make their entrance to the Arcata plaza in front of a packed house.

You can't have a Samba Parade without a large crew of drummers providing the driving beat of the Brazilian rhythms.

The flower blossom-strewn east side of the Arcata Plaza made a good dance platform for the Samba da Alegria dancers.

This very pregnant woman danced and threw flower blossoms as she helped lead the parade with the young flower girls.

Samba da Alegria dancer Danielle Villari Felsenthal, of Arcata, shared this event for the first time with her daughter.

The Samba da Alegria dancers moved to the north side of the Arcata Plaza to continue their performance in front of large crowd lining the vendor tents.

The Samba Parade includes a mix of historical culture and costumes and flags worn by Samba da Alegria dancers.

The Samba da Alegria dancers made their way to the west side of the Arcata plaza, with plenty of hydration breaks in the warm, humid weather.

Johanna Nagan, one of two Samba da Alegria dancers leading the parade, paused to entertain a couple of tired flower girls using the empty flower cart as a sag wagon.

The drummers pound out the driving beat.

As the Samba Parade dancers performed on the final south side of the Arcata Plaza, rain clouds were rapidly approaching from the west.