Labor Day Parade Always A Crowd-Pleaser

By Nancy K. Crevier

& Eliza Hallabeck

As the clock hands swept toward 10 am, Monday, September 3, Main Street was relatively quiet, aside from the occasional dog walker or jogger, heralding the fact that the Newtown Labor Day Parade committee had been largely successful in spreading the word that the 2012 parade would begin at noon. Nonetheless, rows of empty chairs already lined the parade route, ensuring that annual viewers would have a prime spot from which to watch the parade, no matter what the start time.

There were some, of course, who had not received word on the new start time, impatiently looking up the street from where they were seated, at 9:30 am. A bit disgruntled, what could they do but wait?

Pat Rees of Bethel was placing her chairs on Main Street, but said she was aware of the noon start time. “I was surprised how far down the street I had to go from the flagpole to find a spot, so early,” said Ms Rees, who planned to while away the two-hour interlude by reading her Kindle.

“We’re happy that the parade started later, so we could sleep in,” said four girls seated curbside to watch the parade. Their mother agreed that the later start gave the previous night’s sleepover a better start to the morning.

What was the reason behind changing the parade time from its traditional 10 am start, wondered many, as they chatted with friends. Main Street residents Laura and Ken Lerman hosted about half of the number of doughnut and coffee partakers they normally do before the parade, and it seemed her neighbors across the way also had fewer gathering for preparade imbibing, observed Ms Lerman. “You go to the parade at 10. Then you have a barbecue at noon, then you go home and get your mind ready for school the next day,” said Ms Lerman. She was relieved that for the well-being of marchers and people watching the parade that the sun decided to hide behind clouds for the hottest part of the day — but a parade held from noon to 2 pm in future years might not be granted the same grace.

“It was 50/50 in terms of those who liked or didn’t like the noon start time, of the participants and people we have talked to so far,” commented Parade Committee President Beth Caldwell, and she added, “Nothing is etched in stone. The parade is always a work in progress. We try to listen to participants as well as those who watch. It’s a town parade, we realize, not the committee’s parade.”

Meanwhile, many town residents had found a way to pass the morning at the Labor Day Fair. Set up on the grounds of the Newtown Middle School on Queen Street from 9 am to 3 pm, a steady line of paradegoers ventured over to browse the wares of food and craft vendors who had set up booths, and to visit the Girl Scout tag sale. Barbeque, hot dogs with all the fixings, and a variety of other snacks sold there made sure that stomachs would not grumble during the lunchtime parade.

Whether celebrating a couple hours extra sleep or grumping about the time change, at noon all perked up as the sound of the Newtown High School Marching Nighthawks’ drums broke the chatter of friends and families, signaling the start of the 51st Annual Newtown Labor Day Parade. Looking smart in their black and blue uniforms, shining brass instruments at the ready, the band followed closely on the heels of the Korean War Veterans Honor Guard, two baton-twirling Simsbury Spinners, and the NHS Color Guard. Exuberant sideline supporters cheered the band on as it made its way, the first of many entries to raise loud applause and gleeful shouts from the crowd.

Not far behind were the 2012 Grand Marshals, Dr Z. Michael and Jocelyn Taweh, founders of Kevin’s Community Center, atop a bright yellow convertible. “Ten Years of Caring For Newtown” was the parade theme dedicated to Kevin’s Community Center, and echoed in the selection of the Newtown Visiting Nurse Association as this year’s recipient of the Legends and Pioneers Award.

Midway through the parade, this year’s Beautiful Baby Contest winner Giavanna Dentice and her mother, Mary Dentice, showed big smiles as they rode past.

Many paradegoers looked for their yearly favorites in the parade. The fire trucks, Army vehicles, emergency response organizations, and bands all got big rounds of applause, as did the ever-popular Sons of Portugal Band and dancers, Fairfield Gaelic Pipe Band, and the Pyramid Shriners Motor Cars and “Big Shriner.”

Viewers were confounded and parade committee members surprised by the mass of marchers from the striking New England Health Workers union that momentarily put a damper on the otherwise happy event. Committee member Robin Buchanan said Tuesday morning that the group’s application indicated just four marchers carrying a banner would attend, supporting this year’s parade theme “Caring for Newtown,” to let people know that despite the strike, health care workers continued to care for their patients. “It was a bit of a misrepresentation of their intentions, I would say,” said Ms Buchanan. There was no indication that a large group would arrive making a statement about the strike.

Because members of each group arrive piecemeal to meet up with their organization, and because street directors do not each have a printout of all of the applications, there is no way for them to know how many people are expected when the parade lines up, she added. More fire trucks lined up than the committee anticipated, she added as an example, and more than four times the 30 marchers committee members thought would march showed up for the Newtown Football and Cheerleaders (formerly Pop Warner).

It all adds up to fun in the end, however. The Verna brothers, Roman, 6, Dante, 9, and Max, 4, had decorated brown paper bags in anticipation of candy tossed from floats. They were not disappointed, as supporters of politicians including John McKinney, Chris Murphy, Elizabeth Esty, Linda McMahon, Lisa Romano, and endless others made sure to “sweeten” the crowd.

Ears plugged by his fingers, one young parade viewer anticipated the sounding off of rifles of the 2nd Connecticut Volunteer Heavy Artillery Regiment and the 11th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Company A. Equally ear-splitting was the howl of fire truck sirens, accompanied at times by parade-going canines pointing their noses to the sky.

Floats from Newtown’s churches and synagogue added color and, in the case of Newtown Congregational Church, bubbles. Scouts celebrated years of Newtown participation with big turnouts for all, girls and boys, from Cubs to Cadettes.

“Look!” was the common shout-out as Vasi’s Gym passed by, students showing off handstands and back flips. The Newtown High School dancers and the Newtown Juggling and Circus Acts Club elicited equally enthusiastic responses, as did the exuberant Zumba dancers aboard “Z Place for Zumba” float.

There is always something new to look forward to in each parade, and this year the Polynesian Dance Troupe of Greater Danbury provided a colorful and exciting sample of island dancing and music. Fiesta Del Norte Mariachi Band added spark with beautiful costumes and music of Mexico and Spain. Marching behind their big blue banner, staff of the Blue Colony Diner joined in this year’s parade, along with their Disney friends riding in an antique Cadillac driven by David Goldin.

The bands played on, marchers marched, clowns clowned around, and the floats drifted by, and at last, the antique tractors came into view, signaling the end of the 2012 Newtown Labor Day Parade.

Not all parade viewers stayed for the nearly two-hour event. The late start sent many packing up by 1 pm to make it to previously planned cookouts, while others found the parade length too much for young family members, and others misjudged a cloudy sky’s threat to rain and hurried away.

Committee members were pleased to not have to deal with the chaos of 2011, said Parade Committee President Beth Caldwell, when the 50th Parade celebration was washed out for a month by Tropical Storm Irene. “We were certainly happy to be back on Labor Day,” she said.

She praised the efforts of the parade volunteers who helped in many aspects, particularly some of the younger volunteers. “We had three Newtown Police Explorers who assisted with traffic control, and that was really helpful,” she said. The committee was also grateful to sixth grader Sarah Widmann who arrived early to help street directors, for the second year. “She was really working hard,” Ms Caldwell said.

All in all, Ms Caldwell said, “It was another great parade.”