Rain reigns at 75th annual Pet Parade

WINSTED — The rain fell hard hours before the 75th annual Pet Parade was going to be held on Main Street on Saturday, May 21.Parade-goers decided to ride the storm out and ducked underneath the awnings of Main Street businesses.Organizers had set a rain date of Sunday, May 22, but parade commander and Winsted Rotary Club member Bill Harding and his fellow club members all agreed that the parade should go on. In the end, the rain subsided and participants were rewarded with a sunny finish as bands performed and prizes were awarded in East End Park.“What sealed it for me was seeing parents coming down, even in the rain, with their children all dressed up,” Harding said. “I remember back when my son was little. I thought to myself, does a child really care of he walks in the rain? Of course not! It was an easy call.”Despite the presence of many umbrellas, marchers did not seem to mind the rain and dressed up as cartoon characters, characters from “The Wizard of Oz” and Smurfs.And, of course, there were pets of all kinds — dogs, cats, chickens, goats, rabbits and horses.“We had a large variety this year,” Harding said. “We had many participants this year, and they all had a wonderful time.”

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