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Milford’s downtown parade route was fairly heavily lined with residents Sunday for the city’s “Grand Parade,” celebrating Milford’s 375th anniversary.
People came prepared to be entertained by the fairly lengthy assemblage of floats, bands and civic groups. Many brought coolers and chairs, and some even set up tents to watch the historic parade.
There were fire trucks — a number of fire trucks representing different firefighting eras in the city.
The parade took on a very historic theme as several groups dressed in old-time clothing, and groups like the Red Cross and Girl Scouts featured marchers dressed in different period outfits.
Milford’s older residents will remember the “cop in the bucket,” the police officer who used to be stationed downtown in a bucket-shaped enclosure to direct traffic.
That part of the city’s past was recreated with one float, which included a “police officer” with a whistle standing in the “bucket” and directing traffic.
Milford’s historic churches also got into the act, with the First United Church of Christ, Congregational, for example, supplying a float, which was a replica of the historic downtown church.
There were businesses with deep roots here, such as Milford Hospital, whose marchers included a team of singing, dancing medical personnel pushing a gurney along the parade route; and Milford Bank, which has several branches in and around Milford.
Former city mayors traveled along the route in special cars, as did the oldest man and woman in Milford: Arthur White and Dorothy Paul.
Milford’s two high schools joined forces to provide music for the parade: The Jonathan Law and Foran High School bands performed together and wore shirts identifying themselves as a combined high school band.