Cincinnati’s Opening Day parade slims down

CINCINNATI (AP) — The head of Cincinnati’s annual baseball opening day parade says he’s making it shorter this year to move things along and eliminate duplication in the types of groups that participate.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports last year’s parade lasted two-and-a-half hours, making it only 14 minutes shorter than the Reds’ first regular season game that day.

Parade chairman Neil Luken says the April 1 event aims for “quality, not quantity.” The number of entrants this year is down to 200 from 240 last year.

He would like to get it down to 150, and says floats that focus on the Reds, Cincinnati and the parade’s namesake Findlay Market will get top priority. He plans to watch a DVD of the parade to look for entrants to cut.