WILTON – On a beautiful August morning, the town of Wilton came alive Saturday with a rousing parade and a host of other offerings, all as part of the town’s annual Blueberry Festival.
The festival, which occurs each year on the first Friday and Saturday of August, hit its peak with the morning parade, which featured a host of different floats, numerous bands and performers, and a strong emphasis on veterans and patriotism.
Spectators lined Main Street early in the morning as the parade slowly began to wend through town. Waves, cheers, and smiles were seen throughout the crowd, outdone only by the marchers themselves, who seemed to marvel at the overwhelming response.
The parade was sponsored by the Wilton Lions Club, who kicked off the day at 6 a.m. with a blueberry pancake breakfast in the center of town, a tradition that has been going on for well more than a decade.
Bernal Allen, who helped organize the event, has been working on the breakfast for 11 straight years and said it is a huge boost for the Lions Club.
“You have to make an appearance to let yourself be known,” said Allen. “It’s quite important to be out in the public eye.”
Allen, who estimated at least 600 people enjoyed the pancakes Saturday morning, said the proceeds from the breakfast represent a huge portion of the money that the club gives towards the parade.
“Our proceeds go into making this a fun day for the whole town,” said Bill Fletcher, another volunteer for the Lions Club.
The parade itself featured a wide array of floats, many of which had a musical aspect to them. They included the Kora Highlanders, a bagpipe group, and two percussive groups, the Western Mountain Trash Can Band and the Kora Royal Guard. Local churches also got into the mix, with several hosting elaborate floats and handing out pamphlets to spectators.
Another big hit with spectators was the “Kora Renegades,” a group of elderly men riding in small go-karts who cruised around the road doing figure eights and other fast-flying formations. They were joined by a series of other such performers, including the Kora Klowns, who blew bubbles and played with the many kids who lined the streets.
Many old-fashioned cars also paraded, most featuring veterans waving to spectators. Along with being in several of the different floats, the numerous veterans on hand basked in a great deal of support and warm feelings, since they were the subject of the parade’s theme: “a tribute to all veterans.”
A Rolling 9-11 Memorial was also present during the parade. The memorial, which was written on the side of a long truck, paid tribute to those lost on Sept. 11, 2001. Next to a picture of the two twin towers, it said simply, “Have you forgotten”
As the parade wound down, spectators began to visit many of the vendors lining Main Street. As if the wide selection of crafts and food right along the parade route weren’t enough, many other events were on tap for the rest of the day, including a chili-tasting contest, a blueberry cook-off and “Open Forge Day,” put on by the Wilton Historical Society.
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