Big crowd turns out for Wilton’s Blueberry Festival parade
Benjamin Drumm, 10, of Wilton, operates the ABT Plumbing, Heating and Cooling parade entry wishing the Wilton Blueberry Festival a happy 30th on Saturday.
Shelly's Hometown Market entry celebrates during the 30th Wilton Blueberry Festival parade on Main Street. (Photo by Jim Knox)
Wilton Fire and Rescue Department's award-winning Color Guard marches near the beginning of the 30th Blueberry Festival parade on Saturday. At near right is Assistant Fire Chief Kyle Ellis.
WILTON - The clear blue skies of the morning matched the 30th annual Blueberry Festival parade theme of 30 Years of Blueberries.
Big crowds lined the parade route and weren't disappointed with a lineup that stretched on for a good hour, featuring more than 100 entries. Many entries featured a cake decorated with blueberries wishing the town of Wilton many more.
There were also lots of politicians, Kora Temple Shriner groups, bag pipers, antique and classic cars, trucks, marching gymnasts and baton twirlers.
Many more events will be held throughout the day with a fireworks show at dusk over Wilson Lake as the festival's finale.
Sunshine Pools built the largest birthday cake of the parade entries out of balloons. The parade theme 30 years of Blueberries inspired many participants to build birthday cakes.
Pat's Wallpaper went with "Wee, Wee, all the way home" with a couple of pigs, lots of squealing and pinwheels as a Blueberry Festival parade entry.
RLH Elliot Trucking of Strong featured a semi-flatbed truck with a blueberry house, a big bad wolf and lots of pigs, too.
Barclays' Blueberry Festival parade entry featured a cake, presents and people decked out in blue.
The Smiling Goat Precision Juggling Corps marches and juggles blue balls along Main Street in the 30th Blueberry Festival parade on Saturday.
A young Blueberry Festival parade attendee waves to the passing tractor from Hall Farms in East Dixfield.
Bagpipers entertain the big crowd along the parade route on Saturday in Wilton. Many more events are scheduled for Saturday with a fireworks finale set for dusk over Wilson Lake in Wilton.
Smokin' hot blueberries top a cake in the Blueberry Festival parade. (Jim Knox photo)
Entries(RSS)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILTON BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL AND MANY MORE.
This was a wonderful event. Thank you to Shannon and everyone else who worked so hard to make this a success for all of us to enjoy!
Any possibility we could ask people to refrain from smoking on the parade route next year?
Thanks for a great year. See you in 2013
That looks awesome! Kudos to all the people who worked so hard on this. The fireworks were amazing too! Did anyone see the smiley face fireworks??
Wiltonmom...........
You can ask anything you want.
My guess is that most smokers will look at you with a "Go back to whereever you came from" look and laugh in your face.
To Wiltonmom, how are you going to enforce the non-smoking on the parade route? The amount of people that smoke way out number the amount of people there are available to enforce it. Unfortunately smoking is part of going out in public, even though I am a non-smoker, I know that is part of dealing with the public. People who smoke do not have respect for the people around them... Its just a part of life.
It would be nice to think so, but we can't get people to stop smoking at the beach where there are signs posted around the park and kids playing everywhere. Gonna be tough to stop them on a public road.
@ Wiltonmom; How do u take the BB Festival and make it about u? Get over it!
Congrats to all the parade winners, would have been a far more appropriate comment!
Blueberry festival was great as always........would love to hear the sirens and horns again.......but It's the people like wiltonmom who complain and ruin it for everyone.....if you can't deal with smoke for an hour don't go!!! Thanks for all who played a part for putting it together....thanks to wilton fire dept. And wilton police for keeping everyone safe.
Great parade, but we need a few marching bands! Where was the Old Crow Indian band this year?
Another great festival!
The fireworks were the best I have seen - we especially liked the smiley faces and the finale.
Thanks to all the hard work of so many people to help our town shine extra special for couple of days.
who won are the results in?
This makes one proud to be a Mainer and an American. Not so much wiltonmom. How can one try to turn this into a negative?
They're coming, probably tomorrow, Shannon said.
FYI most smokers try not to smoke around people that dont smoke as far as smoking in public you and everyone that doesnt smoke have band it from everywere eles. If you dont want people smoking around you wear a tee shirt that says please dont smoke near me with a smily face maybe some of the smokers will read your shirt and do as you ask good luck with it . I am a smoker and if there is desinated areas for smokers i go there I also try not to smoke around children or the elderly but as far as other smokers go its there buisness. Its discrimination to keep pointing the finger at smokers. I also would like to say what a wounderful day it was everyone had smiles on there face and what wounderful entertainment fun for the whole family. Thank you again Wilton you always seem to know how to pull the community together.
Great parade, I agree wiltonite, we need more sirens and music, and the kids miss the candy they use to throw out. overall GOOD JOB Shannon.
The Blueberry Festival parade, muster and fireworks,etc were fantastic but where were all the crafters that are normally at the Expo or Academy building? That was disappointing.
what a local scout troop from the area doesn't even get any recognition.
Celebrating 100 years of continous scouting to helping youth.
The blueberry festival was fabulous and than to Shannon and all who make this a special time for families. The paper is the one I was earlier talking about
@wiltonmom, your statements is very laughable you cant make people stop smoking on a public road even if it is a parade route you do it there youll have do it everywhere else...get real
Years ago, when I wondered out loud if someday workplaces would be smoke-free, people "laughed in my face"...
It's upsetting that some comments lack respect and maturity. Wiltonmom posed a question. Some politely responded, some lashed out with anger and a character attack. A simple 'no' would suffice.
I find it funny firetrucks have been quieted, candy cannot be thrown, now complaints about smoking, a few people complain and BAM it is gone. Albeit the candy is a liability because parents cannot control children and all the trucks at the end were a little annoying, but there is a least a compromise for the candy- walk over and hand it out.
Maybe a compromise for the trucks would be one at a time. Start in the front and allow each one a blast and cycle through.
Smoking... good luck
Now lets talk about loud pipes. As a biker, I believe in the adage let those who ride decide, but how can we go to the legislature and say we would like to reverse this bill when people like the ones in the parade are arrogant and defeat what we are working for? Harley Davidson is aiding in the fight of this bill, how do you think they would like to see a bunch riding in the parade- revving bikes while children cover ears, older people shake their heads in disgust and even a women on the back of one bike kept covering her ears. All I can say is wow.... nice going and not to mention these people were in support of a sheriff candidate.....
Nice job!
maybe Michael Bloomberg will ban smoking from the parade next year...
great parade,the best fireworks ever... my complaint is WHEN EVER AN AMERICAN FLAG PASSES I HAVE NEVER SEEN PEOPLE AND FORMER VETS TAKE THEIR HATS OFF, OR KIDS PUTTING THEIR HANDS OVER THEIR HARTS....WILL SOME ONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY? THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN.???.
The parade was great--I'm certainly not saying that it was ruined because of cigarette smoke and I appreciate the effort of all involved. I'm simply putting it out there that when you're at an event filled with babies and young children (I brought two of my own) that it would be courteous to not smoke. Not the law, just courteous. We expect other forms of courtesy around children--watching what we say and what we do. Seems like smoking should be an obvious third. No, you can't enforce courtesy but if enough people do it then it does create a norm and sometimes that's enough to get people to change their behavior. For example, there were some children near us who thought it was funny to shoot silly string at people in the parade (including the Wilton PD through their open cruiser window) while the father looked amused and said nothing. The crowd did not tolerate this and several people said that it should stop. He ignored it at first but really, when there's a crowd against you eventually you toe the line. See folks, that's a crowd enforcing courtesy!
And to the smokers that did smoke away from the crowd it was certainly appreciated.
I agree with the no smoking an also should not allow dogs down town OR in the Nichols building.
@oec: I'm surprised too at the lack of mention that Wilton Troop 518, the second oldest Boy Scout troop in the state, wasn't mentioned as they celebrated their 100th anniversary at the festival.
Rusty it comes down to people not passing on tradition- We clap when we see the honor guard, but we seemed to be the only ones. We have taught this tradition to our children and grandchildren. We cover our hearts and remove our hats as well.
But to play devils advocate when I was growing up I do not remember so many flags in a parade. Everyone has one. I am thinking it was scouts and groups like the VFW and others that carried the flag years ago.
Isn't great how every thread here becomes filled with negative cr_p, and the original positive intent is ruined....awesome
FYI - The Old Crow Band gets lots of requests to participate in annual events such as the Blueberry Festival. Andover has a celebration the same day as the parade in Wilton, so the band alternates and marches in the Wilton Parade one year and Andover the next. We plan to be in Wilton next year.
Awesome Pam looking forward to seeing you next year! MD you are right, but at least most of the comments are positive!
Here's my two cents: Balloons pop and scare children; clowns are some of the freakiest people around; I am offended by democrats and the color green, so let's ban them all. Where on earth do we draw the line????
I loved reading the comments about smoking during the parade. I could not agree more that the people who want to smoke should either refrain or get on the END OF THE PARADE. Better still, maybe they could have their own parade the next day !!
Not only does smoking harm nearly every organ of our body, but it stinks. Coronary heart disease, strokes, lung cancer, and the list goes on ? WHY DO IT ?? What are the smokers teaching young children who see this filthy habit ?
I don’t care if it’s not legal or not, but to stand beside someone and puff on a cigarette allowing smoke to flow into the hair and clothing of the person standing next to you, makes them smell as badly as the smoker..
Kudos to the Wilton Mom who wants a healthy environment for her children
My friend said that the auto and diesel fumes caused her children to spill their Mac fries and ruined their concentration so they couldn't finish their violent video games. Plus there was dirt on the ground. SHEESH! Some people could serve us better by just staying home!
OH and I now find out that DOGS (humankinds best and most loyal friends) were outdoors. How can that be allowed to happen?
All the negative. There is nothing positive it seems today always those who complain about everyone and everything.. Pets are companions and to a lot of people like children. As for smoking well I am offended by alcohol breathe and the smell of an overdose of perfume, but I don't try and band someone from the way their breath smells or what perfumes they wear.
People need to stay within their limits and stop trying to change and rule others. The parade was wonderful!!!!! My 1st year of participating and was pleased with the organization of the events. As for noise, yes I wondered why there wasn't a school band or a band period but the bag pipes were beautiful!! Love the bag pipes. Parades are for enjoyment and with enjoyment comes noise and crowds of mixed agenda. GREAT JOB SHANNON!!!! Looking forward to next year.
Good question about bands- do schools in the area not have bands? I still say great job and phooey on all the negatives
Had a great time at the 30th Blueberry Festival. I have also found more photos on Facebook at the Wilton Police Departments Facebook. Check them out and "like" their page
so does the mr nichols going to let all of us bikers ride in his town with our bike revving up and as loud as we want for pipes, if he is franklin county sheriff?? so was that just a way to say look what i will do for you if u vote for me. the parade was great good work for all of the people whom worked on it.
The bikers were just having a little fun, give them a break for trying to celebrate. Mr. Nichols will be as law abiding as any other sheriff if elected. Besides the noise coming from those motorcycles are less annoying than all the loud bangs and booms I've had to listen to since they legalized fireworks. The fireworks that people shoot off go on and on for hours and are right beside other peoples' residences. And us old people that go to bed early really get a rude awakening:)
BUT ALL THE ASIDE, IT WAS A GREAT PARADE!!!!
It's clear to see who the smokers are here. I can step around dog poop, walk away from perfume, or even turn my head if exhaust fumes are present, but the stench from cigarettes (or cigars ) is lingering and absolutely disgusting when it infiltrates your hair and clothing.
Fireworks are best left to the professionals. After someone burns down a neighbor's home or blows off a hand, then maybe we will have some peace and quiet around the lake again.
Marching band was cut in the early 1990's.