MIDDLETON — There weren't any floats, at least not in the traditional sense, and spectators were a little sparse in places, but no one seemed to mind Friday as students here resurrected a slice of small-town Americana.

After more than two decades, Middleton High School brought back its homecoming parade, a once-proud tradition that died out somewhere around 1980, near as anyone can remember.

"It used to be such a big deal," said Barbara Elliott of Cross Creek, Fla., a 1959 Middleton High School graduate who was in the area Friday for a wedding and watched the parade. "This is so exciting — I think mid-America needs to go back to some of the old ways."

Student council members said they latched onto the idea to boost school spirit.

"The strange reality is that our sports teams don't get the support they deserve," said senior Samir Darba, 17.

School counselor Marcy Smith, the faculty adviser for the student council, said she was shocked when she came to Middleton last year and learned it had no homecoming parade.

"I'm from Dodgeville, and the city shuts down on the Friday afternoon of homecoming," she said.

Almost all of Dane County's 16 school districts have parades, with Stoughton bringing back its parade this year after a nine-year absence.

In the Madison School District, only one of its four high schools — West — has a homecoming parade.

Middleton's student council decided to ease back into the parade business by forgoing flatbed trucks, figuring students' float-building skills were a little rusty. Instead, Pleasant View Golf Course in Middleton loaned students the use of 18 golf carts.

The cross country team affixed a giant pair of floppy running shoes made out of chicken wire, tissue paper and duct tape to the top of two golf carts.

"Our expectations were pretty low," said team member Luke Atterbury, 17. "I'm just glad we got anything done."

The football team kicked off the 34-unit parade atop a Middleton Fire Truck, followed closely by the marching band. Dozens of students marched alongside golf carts as members of school clubs.

"I hope there are people left to watch us," said drama club member Stasia Grindle, 17, as the parade assembled.

Mindy Sabol of Middleton brought her young children to watch.

"It's a nice opportunity for groups and clubs that don't get a lot of attention to get some recognition," she said. "The ecology club probably doesn't get asked to be in a lot of parades."

She said her daughter Morgan, 5, pronounced it "the best parade ever."

Afterward, the organizers said they were pleased.

"It greatly exceeded our expectations," said senior Sean Jackson, 17.

"We thought we'd be riding through empty streets," said senior Steve Ticknor, 17, co-president with Jackson of the student council. "This should become a tradition."