On the fine, summer afternoon of July 12 in Phoenix, I took a trip on the Valley Metro Light Rail into the city to see the All-Star Game Parade.

After taking in the sights for a bit, I picked out a nice spot along the side gate and settled in to watch all sorts of different people and mascots make their way down the red carpet — including Luis Gonzalez as the grand marshal for the Parade of All-Stars.

Despite the heat, I managed to have a bit of fun watching attendees grab for toy baseballs and necklaces that the mascots threw into the crowd.

Spirits soared as fans enjoyed the parade and waited for the game to begin later in the day, hoping that just maybe a lucky home run ball will soar into their glove.

Here are some photos from the MLB All-Star Parade, prior to the All-Star Game:

[slickr-flickr tag=”AllStarParade” items=”20″ type=”sets” id=”62045641@N08″]