Autumn Festival

Today my town had their Aki Matsuri, or Autumn Festival. My town in small and their festival is too, so it wasn't a really huge occasion, from what I could see. There were several groups of men, women and children wearing blue and red festival coats and pulling small shrines and floats on wheels around the town. They stopped at various spots around town chanting, beating wooden sticks, taiko drums, blowing whistles and waving banners. According to my host mom, at the end of the day everyone meets up at the local shrine and the children receive candy. Probably some small religious ceremony goes on as well but I don't know what. I took pictures while they were stopped, waiting to meet up with another group.
Here's one of the shrines:


I feel really white.


You cannot....resist.....the cuteness!!