FLORENCE — What do a lion, a talking Christmas tree and an antique police cruiser all have in common?
On most occasions, nothing. But on Saturday, the three were part of a larger group of city residents spreading seasonal merriment down Main Street as part of the 32nd annual Florence Holiday Parade.
The parade, which is organized by the Florence Civic & Business Association and celebrated each year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, returned after a year off as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kurt Brazeau, the former president of the Florence Civic and Business Association, said in a previous interview that the decision to cancel was because many of the participants, including the Melha Shriners, a fraternal organization of Shriners Hospital for Children, said they would not be marching.
This year, the Shriners returned and were met with “oohs” and “ahhs” from bystanders as go-karts and motorcycles, — some of which were toting clowns — made loops zooming up and down Main Street. The group also was joined by the Daughters of the Nile, another fraternal organization of Shriners Hospital for Children that is open to women over 18 who are related by birth or marriage to a Shriner.
An antique police cruiser kicked off the parade, followed by VFW Color Guard and Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz, who waved to the bundled-up families lined along the street.
The purr of the polished antique cars mixed with the skirl of bagpipes from the Holyoke Caledonian Pipe Band as well as the buzzing from the Expandable Brass Band set the tone for festivities as marchers tossed candy to whoever was willing to catch it.
The parade also included members of the Hill Town Misfits 4-H Club and a few of their four-legged friends, Aran jumper-clad members of the St. Patrick’s Association, marchers from the Lions Club, holiday caricatures as well as a wizard and was capped off with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Northampton resident Karen Paciorek said that the annual event reminds her of festivities and the small parades she watched from her hometown in Norfolk. As she watched each group pass by, she recalled moments her children — now adults — looked forward to the most.
“It just marks the start of the holiday season for me,” Paciorek said.
Emily Thurlow can be reached at ethurlow@gazettenet.com
