Chester Greenwood Day 2010

“Chester Greenwood” (Clyde Ross) and “Isabel Greenwood” (Caroline Thompson, Greenwood’s granddaughter) ride a horse-drawn wagon near the head of the parade. They are accompanied by Farmington town manager, Richard Davis.

FARMINGTON – Colorful floats, smiling children and all manner of costumed characters turned out for the 34th annual Chester Greenwood Day today, celebrating the town’s famed inventor.

A dusting of snow did nothing but provide decoration for the Chester Greenwood Day parade, although cool temperatures a few degrees above freezing brought out the mittens and, of course, earmuffs. Greenwood invented the earmuff out of fur and wire, one of many inventions.

The parade, based around a theme of “A Child’s World of Wonder,” was sponsored by the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, the Chester Greenwood Family and WKTJ. Hundreds of people turned out for the fun, lining Main Street.

Events will continue for much of the day, including the 3 p.m. dip into Clearwater Lake by the Polar Bear Club, and open houses at several local area businesses. The Farmington Rotary Club’s Annual Festival of Trees will be held 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. upstairs at the Granary Restaurant on Front Street.

Franklin County Sheriff Dennis Pike leads the parade down Main Street.

Members of the Mt. Blue High School ski teams donned roller skis and zoomed up and down the street.

A number of local businesses, churches and organizations put together floats. Barclays’ Candyland float is pictured here.

Reenactors in Civil War-era costumes fired muskets at every block, reloading as they marched.

Traditionally, the Mt. Blue Regional School District dresses up a school bus in decorations and a large set of earmuffs. This year, they took it a step further, using black plastic and cleverly-arranged cotton to create the “Polar Express.”