Farmington Fourth of July Parade marches on despite rain

FARMINGTON — Four-year-old Seth Pinkham of Wilton picked the perfect venue in Farmington's annual Fourth of July Parade on Saturday to show off his Halloween outfit.
Dressed head to toe in pint-sized firefighter's gear, Pinkham proudly waved his small American flag at firetruck after firetruck looming large ahead of him as each turned from High Street onto Middle Street.
"He wanted to look like a fireman so they would see him," mom Renee Woodard of Wilton said.
It was also a good outfit to wear to ward off the morning's rain, which reduced the size of parade participants and the crowd. However, there was still a good turnout of hundreds of people of all ages, many wearing light, airy clothing and rain gear like 3-year-old Emily Sue Bronish of North Carolina.
As each float or firetruck passed Emily, dressed in a hot pink vinyl jacket and matching Crocs, and other children with her would cautiously venture out to grab tossed candy, then dash back to their safe-distance watching zone.
Bronish's mom, Amber Bronish, said her family always drives up to watch Farmington's Fourth of July Parade and to visit Emily's grandmother, Wandalyn Dorr of Wilton.
"The rain is OK," Amber Bronish said, taking the morning drizzle in stride. "I hear it's been doing this for a month an a half."
"It's 100 degrees where we live, so this is a nice change," she said. "We come every year for this parade because it's always fun, rain or no rain."
Sponsored by the Farmington Rotary Club, the parade normally attracts many participants, according to Clayton King, who handed out ribbons to those whose entries placed in the top three in different categories.
"This is half of what we normally have," King said of the 20 to 25 entries. "It's not good, but, with the spirit of the rotary, onward."
Participants were asked to match their floats or clothing to the parade theme, "Summer in Maine."
Taking the Best of Show and a first-place blue ribbon was Notify M. D. of Farmington with their portrayal of camper Sharon Cullenberg inside her tent in the woods surrounded by seven people wearing giant black fly costumes.
Ribbons were awarded prior to the parade's 10 a.m. start from the Mallett School yard off Middle Street.
Some participants who endured heavier rain while waiting, didn't seem to mind.
"It doesn't make any difference if it rains or not," Pete Ross of Farmington said while standing beside the large yellow grader that he and grandson Preston Ross, 7, of Chesterville built.
"Once you get out in it, who cares," added Pete's wife, Poochie Ross, who would ride ahead of Preston on the Franklin County Agricultural Museum float.
Bagpipers Robert and Aidan Underwood also didn't mind the rain.
"It's good Scottish weather," Robert Underwood, 67, of Farmington, said. "As long as the rain's coming straight down and not sideways, it's OK."
Normally, the parade lasts 45 minutes to an hour, but due to the wet weather and lower than usual turnout of participants, it lasted 26 minutes. However, just after Franklin County Sheriff Dennis Pike driving a blue National Weather Service station wagon turned onto Main Street from Broadway, signaling the end of the parade, the sun ventured out under clearing skies.
tkarkos@sunjournal.com