Fireman's Parade brings back fond memories
SAXONBURG — Thursday's Fireman's Parade in Saxonburg drew hundreds of spectators and participants, in an annual tradition that was sidetracked last year by inclement weather.
Not so in 2015. The sunny weather helped produce a carnival atmosphere along Main Street, where Butler resident Tressa Gilley, who said she's been a faithful parade spectator since the age of 16, was camped out along a curbside swath of grass.
Gilley is a former member of the Tri-County Savers and Top Hats, which are marching baton and flag corps, and has fond memories of marching in the event herself as a girl.
Likewise, Chris Sansom of Butler, who said he's been a parade-goer on-and-off for 30 years and has a daughter who marched Thursday with the YMCA's cheerleading squad, said the parade is an event that lets him remember — and sometimes reconnect with — the people and things of his youth.
“It's just something you can rely on that doesn't change that much,” Sansom said.
“It kind of has that nostalgic feel to it.”
The hustle and press of Main Street isn't for everyone, though. Elmer and Carol Christy of Freeport were house-sitting Thursday for their son, Jeff, and enjoying the view from his Rebecca Street home's front porch.
The Christys, who first visited the Fireman's Parade in 1961, the year they were married, said they like being back from the action and watching the young people bustle by on parade day.
“This is such a big deal, and now, rather than fight the crowd, we'd just as soon sit here,” Elmer said.
The Christys are drum and bugle corp enthusiasts, and say they've noticed a drop-off in the number attending the parade these days.
'It's changed a lot,” Elmer said. “There's just not as many as there used to be.”
All-told, said Scott Briggs, a life member of Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company and the parade announcer for 33 years, Thursday's Fireman's Parade included 83 marching units. About half of those, Briggs estimated, were fire trucks.He agreed with Christy's assessment that participation among fire companies isn't at the height of years-past. Briggs can remember years with more than 100 participants, and parades that stretched through midnight. But, he said, that's in the past given the tight times companies are living in these days.“We're just not living in a world where companies can justify driving two, three hours for a parade anymore,” Briggs said.At its core, Briggs said, Thursday's parade has always been a social event to bring the town and fire companies together.“It's a gathering space more than anything,” he said.And still an exceptional one at that, said Ron Hopkins, a member of Arnold Volunteer Fire Department. Hopkins can remember attending Saxonburg's parade in the 1960s as a young fireman. Today, Hopkins is a retired police chief and VFD color guard member, but nothing has ever compared to the reception his company gets in Saxonburg.“The reception here is unlike anything you get anywhere else,” Hopkins said. “You bring a color guard, a band and they stand and applaud you. It's quintessential Small Town America.”That enthusiasm is something Sierra Smith and Maddie Elder, the leaders of Stars Drill Team from Clarion County, were hoping to tap into Thursday.The team marches in 10 to 15 competitions each year, and is composed of girls from ages 3 to 22. They perform a variety of routines incorporating elements of cheer, dance and gymnastics, and were returning to the parade after an 11-year absence.“We've been looking for an excuse to get back to Saxonburg, and this year things just fell into place for us,” said Tressa Smith, Sierra and Maddie's mother and the former leader of the team. “I'm just going to enjoy watching and knowing they love it.”
