BETHEL – Despite sweltering heat and humidity on Saturday, the annual Mollyockett Day festival drew hundreds of people of all ages into town for some old-fashioned fun.

A 60-minute, Hollywood-themed parade of colorful floats made and ridden by children ages 5 to 18 and emergency responders from the Bethel area wowed crowds lining Main and Church streets.

Winning floats in the “Mollywood” parade were: first place, Bethel Outdoor Adventure and Campground; second, Mahoosuc Kids; and third, Toe Tappin’ Jazz’s Spotlight on a Dream.

Julie Berry, who helped build the Little Big Red Day Care float with her children, said she enjoyed the parade, as did her children.

“This was our first time doing a float, and fighting off the rain from last night in a storm was key,” Berry said. She was referring to the violent thunderstorms and heavy rain that swept across the state Friday night through early Saturday morning.

Berry said she was impressed with all of the floats and especially liked the fact that children did a lot of the work.

“It was nice to see the community come together,” she said. “We’ve been through a lot of tragedies by losing people in accidents and other things, so it’s nice to see that after something like that happens, we can come together.”

Callie Pecunies of Albany Township said she watched last year’s parade and thought this year’s was better. “I certainly enjoyed it more this year,” she said.

After the parade ended, throngs of people lining the streets headed for the common, which took on the ambiance of a county fair. It was packed with people watching Matthew Tardy’s juggling and entertainment routines. Others visited the craft booths and vendor stations lining the common’s perimeter.

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