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

Wearing his Halloween costume, 4-year-old Seth Pinkham, left, of Wilton, waves his flag while standing along Middle Street and yells to passing Farmington firetrucks during Saturday morning’s annual Fourth of July parade in Farmington. The little patriot beside him is Alex Rackliff, 3, of Vienna.

Dressed in his Halloween costume, 4-year-old Seth Pinkham of Wilton salutes a Farmington firetruck turning from High Street onto Middle Street during Saturday’s Fourth of July Parade in Farmington.

Robert Underwood, right, of Farmington, and his grandson Aidan Underwood, 9, of Wilton, perform marching music on their Highland bagpipes while walking down Broadway Street during Saturday’s Fourth of July Parade in Farmington.

After being awarded 1st place in their float category on Saturday prior to the start of Farmington’s Fourth of July Parade, members of the Amazing Maze float by Sandy River Farms pose for photos. From left are 2-year-old Natalee Orr, Terry York Zacker, Camden Zacker, 2-year-old Mariah Johnson, and Kendall Zacker.

“Peanut,” a tiny Chihuahua, watches Farmington’s Fourth of July Parade on Saturday, while wrapped in a fuzzy blanket held by Bob Bourassa of Mercer. Bob, his wife and their pooch came to watch their granddaughter march in the parade.

Waiting in Saturday morning’s rain to take her place in Farmington’s Fourth of July Parade lineup are Marjorie Hardy of Farmington and her 4-H Ayrshire cow “Viv.” Hardy is a member of the Franklin County Dairy Club.

Three-year-old Regan Pratt and her aunt, Carolyn Pratt, both of Farmington, share a laugh during Saturday morning’s Fourth of July Parade in Farmington. The pair were riding in a 1930s buckboard buggy mounted atop a tractor-pulled float for the Franklin County Agricultural Museum. The buckboard was built by the Lovejoy Carriage Co. of North Chesterville, which made buckboards and sleighs.

Preston Ross, 7, of Chesterville, and his 3-year-old sister Gracie Ross, wait for Farmington’s Fourth of July parade to start so they can show off the homemade grader that Preston and his grandfather, Pete Ross of Farmington, built. “The things we do for our grandchildren,” Pete Ross said as others marvelled at the accomplishment.

Three-year-old Alex Rackliff, right, of Vienna shows his patriotic pride during Saturday morning’s Fourth of July Parade in Farmington while Emily Sue Bronish, 3, of North Carolina laughs at a group of clowns ambling past them on Broadway Street.

Winners of the Best of Show and first-place ribbons in their category in Farmington’s Fourth of July Parade on Saturday from left are blackflies Sonya Pond, Becky Noll, Chancell Luce, Lisa Whitney, Keri Breen, Vickie Audette, and Ethan Bachelder, and in the tent holding a can of Raid is Sharon Cullenberg. Their Notify M.D. float featured a typical Maine camping experience, perfectly matching the parade theme: Things to do in Maine in the Summer.

Reactions were mixed in this Main Street crowd snapshot as emergency responder vehicles passed them during Farmington’s Fourth of July Parade.

Getting six Scottish Shetland sheepdogs to line up for a group picture after they won first place in Saturday morning’s Fourth of July Parade was no easy task. The dogs and handlers from the Farmington Sheltie Rescue Group from left are, Barbara Chassie, not pictured, Tobey, Evan, Xena, 9-year-old River Lisius of Farmington, Geordi, Patti Millette of West Farmington, Jenny, Anthony Labella of Farmington, and Maisie. In back wearing an inflated lobster on his back is Paul Mills, also of Farmington.