Every year since the 1920’s, Newfield has held a Old Home Days Festival.  Lori, our neighbor Catherine, and I, as freshly-minted Newfield residents, were eager to see the Old Home Days Parade that we had heard so much about.  So this Saturday, we headed into town to see the 2013 extravaganza.

Let’s face the facts: Newfield is a very small town and the parade is a very modest affair including things like jacked-up pickup trucks, hay wagons, local town officials, lots of farm tractors, several horses, and a variety of other participants marching on a parade route that couldn’t be exaggerated to as much as a half mile long.

That said, it was, well, wonderful!  Newfield is a small town but it’s a small town with a lot of heart, a lot of interesting and interested residents, and the eagerness to put on an unabashed and often whimsical celebration of itself.  It often seemed as all the parade participants knew all the parade watchers as they exchanged waves and greetings.  We had the privilege of meeting several locals ourselves, all generous and friendly to a fault.  The good humor and enthusiasm of all is a tribute to the people of Newfield.