A cute parade-watching dog chilled out in the shade as trucks and floats passed by. (Photos by Keri Blakinger)
Police cars kick off the Newark Valley Days parade.
The Aug. 8 parade featured an old-fashioned fire engine, along with the usual array of modern-day fire trucks.
Daughters of Union Veterans marched in the parade, dressed in historical regalia.
The Grenadiers Alumni stopped to wow the crowd with their performance.
The large front-end loader was popular with young boys watching the parade.
Another parade staple, the Kirby Band, appeared as usual.
Purple Lightning, a Candor-based drumline, marches in the parade.
Weltonville was among the many fire companies represented in the annual parade.
Southern Tier Solar Works marched with a field of sunflowers, or sunflower-like signs in the Newark Valley Days Parade.
The annual Newark Valley Days parade kicked off at 11 a.m. on the bright and sunny morning of Aug. 8. As usual, state troopers and the Tioga County Sheriff’s Department led the long line down Main Street.
Next, an old-fashioned fire truck came zig-zagging along with free candy flying out the windows. The Owego branch of the Veterans of Foreign Wars drew applause as they marched down the street, followed by a line of antique and fancy cars, including a Stingray carrying a World War II veteran.
Daughters of Union Veterans appeared, dressed in period clothing, and the Apalachin Grenadiers Alumni Drumline wowed the crowd with a roadside performance. As the kilted drummers stopped the parade to play in front of the Village Green, onlookers began clapping along and whipping out iPhones to record it.
A regular set of well-known locals – Barb Tappan, Evelyn Martin, Al Budney, and Varina Henson – drove by the spiffy cars. Next, a front-end loader impressed the youngsters in the crowd. One young boy cried out in joy, “Look! A big digger!”
A beautiful Ford Mustang was followed by the Newark Valley United Methodist Church’s float.
Old-fashioned tractors, a punch buggy, and the Newark Valley Fire Department all drove by, as did the ever-popular Kirby Band. Purple Lightning – a Candor-based student drumline featuring drums made out of trash cans – marched by in front of some Corvettes.
Newark Valley Mayor Jim Tornatore smiled and waved and area musician Rick Pedro played piano from a float. Two candidates for Tioga County Clerk – Sandra Knapp-Dunbar and Andrea Klett – appeared in the parade, and this year’s Tioga County Dairy Princess made an appearance as well.
Some particularly talented hula hoopers danced and wriggled their way down the street, and Southern Tier Solar Works marched with a series of banners and signs.
The Newark Valley Historical Society sported a fancy float and Juggler Will Stafford rode through the parade on a unicycle.
Two more popular local bands – the Maine Community Band and the Dixie Kats – played, to much crowd applause.
In short, it was a lot of the parade regulars along with some new faces thrown in the mix.
Newark Valley Days also featured free live music, a 5K run, fireworks, vendors in the Village Green, a book sale, and much more.
