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Tractor captains ride again

By KRISTA GROMALSKI

CALLICOON — The steady hum of a tractor is enough to keep a local tradition going. Well, that and a group of dedicated volunteers known as The Friends of the Callicoon Tractor Parade.

Thanks to the hard work of both the farmers and volunteers, the tradition will ride once again on Sunday, June 10, when the fifth annual Callicoon Tractor Parade rolls down Main Street at12:00 noon.

People who live on River Road, on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware, say they love to hear the sound of tractors making their way over to Callicoon, said Kathy Langley, coordinator of the parade. “Some come all the way from the other end of Damascus, and take all the back roads to get here.”

Others travel from as far away as Neversink. “There is a tractor club out there,” she said.

Yet no matter how wide the map, the event is rooted in the local farming heritage. “We try to keep it simple and pure,” Langley said. “It honors the farmers… It’s an opportunity for the community to come together… [and] It’s a showcase for people who restore old tractors.”

Sponsored by the Callicoon Business Association, the first parade brought out 40 tractors. “Last year we had 160,” said Langley.

“It’s the first opportunity in a long time that farmers have had to be in the spotlight,” she said. “They ride, very proudly, through town.”

Each year, the parade institutes new traditions, the most prominent being the choice of a parade leader, according to Langley. “It’s quite an honor.”

In 2000, Ralph Sykes and his wife Antoinette, local farmers for 50 years, led the parade, followed by their two sons. And In 1999, Herb Bauerfeind led it. The leader for this year will be determined on parade day.

The half-mile ride through the town also guarantees a surprise or two. “The participants look for ways to bring unique things into the event,” Langley said.

For the past two years, the Kays, local farmers, brought their combine to the parade. “It’s about the size of two Suburbans,” said Langley. “It takes up almost the whole width of Main Street.”

Last year’s parade even included “some tractors that didn’t run, but were pulled by other tractors.”

And it’s always a surprise as to who comes out each year, since most tractor captains have day jobs on the farm. “It takes time for these people to get out here, especially during haying season,” Langley said. “But there’s something about the spirit of these people... it’s infectious.”

So much so that even people who aren’t farmers get involved. There are some that simply love old, old tractors, according to Langley.

“There have been a few women drivers, and children as well… even dads with kids on their laps, or farm wives with daughters.”

The parade is also a chance for tourists and vacationers to soak up some local flavor. “The weekenders are always out there,” said Langley.

In addition to the drivers, many local groups get involved. The choirs of St. Patrick’s Church and Holy Cross will sing patriotic songs from the balcony of a local building, and the Callicoon Volunteer Fire Department moved its annual pancake breakfast to coincide with the event. “They’ve never had a better turnout,” said Langley.

Also, a parade favorite is the ice cream sold by the Delaware Youth Center.

Last year’s parade even gave the town a claim to fame. “A man from New York City attended, who makes commercials for a living,” said Langley. “He used footage from the parade in a proposed TV commercial for John Deere… You can see the town sign.”

This year’s entertainment will be Janet Burgan, a folk singer who has a country home near Callicoon, and the Tractor Love Project, “two fellows from WJFF radio station who sing and play guitar.”

Tractors can unload and line up at the Delaware Youth Center/River Access Road beginning at 8:00 a.m. The parade will proceed down Main Street, followed by a chicken barbecue.

LeRoy Canfield, who had the original idea for the event, is searching for a pedal tractor, so that the kids can have a tractor pull, said Langley. Anyone who has one to donate or lend, or wishing more information about the parade, should call Langley 845/887-4444 (daytime) or 570/224-4235 (evenings).

Take a Sunday drive out to Callicoon for an afternoon of old time fun. “People think it’s sort of a wonderful thing,” said Langley.