By Jodi Hausen,Staff Writer

FARMINGTON – More than half the shoppers at Reny’s in Farmington were purchasing earmuffs just prior to the Chester Greenwood parade Saturday morning. And for good reason.

The town’s annual winter parade and celebration commemorates the birthday of its native son and inventor, Chester Greenwood, on the first Saturday of December. And though there have been colder celebrations than this one, those donning the classic ear-warmers Saturday were probably thankful for any help in keeping warm against temperatures in the 20s and a blustery, northerly wind.

Bradie Reynolds, 4, of Farmington wasted no time putting on her newly purchased earmuffs before leaving Reny’s Saturday morning to watch the parade. She was one of many lined up just shy of 11 a.m. – the parade’s start time – in the Broadway department store buying fuzzy earmuffs.

According to Carolyn Smith, the store’s manager, earmuff sales on Chester Greenwood Day represent about 75 percent of the store’s annual sales of the ear coverings.

“People call from all over the country” looking for the town’s renowned invention, which she ships to them, she said. The store sold nearly 100 pair Saturday.

Susun Terese, owner of Minikins on Main Street, a fleece clothing store, had racks of fleece earmuffs on the sidewalk Saturday and more inside. Though she typically sells most of her earmuffs – a sort of combination headband with fleece-disk ear coverings – she said sales would be “a little light” if it weren’t for the celebration.

“We probably wouldn’t have sold as many if it weren’t for the weather,” she said Saturday while wearing a pair inside her store.

The parade, watched by hundreds from the sides of Main Street, lasted about an hour and featured floats, animals, the Mt. Blue Middle School Jazz Band, Girl Scouts and a Civil War reenactment group – sans earmuffs, which weren’t invented until 1877, several years after the war ended.

Winning first prize for floats was Franklin Savings Bank with its Willie Wonka extravaganza featuring the bank’s vice president, Peter Judkins, as Willie Wonka in a red long-haired wig and top hat surrounded by a bevy of Oompa Loompas. Second place was awarded to New Hope Baptist Church and third place winner was the Wiles family float.

Spectators applauded the raising of the Chester Greenwood flag and giggled with the antics of local attorney and historian Paul Mills’ enthusiastic poetry reading. Afterwards, parade-goers enjoyed birthday cake and a blind-tasting chili cook-off in the gazebo in Meetinghouse Park. First place in the chili cook-off went to Farmington’s Soup for You, second to Rose Lam of Wilton, and third to the Granary of Farmington.