TRR photo by Tracy Denman Tractors traverse the straight-and-narrow during Callicoon’s fifth annual Tractor Parade. (Click for larger image)

Tractor Parade: talk of the town

By TRACY DENMAN

CALLICOON — With over 1000 attendees and over 200 tractors, this year’s Callicoon tractor parade was the most successful one yet.

Kathy Langley and her “Friends of the Tractor parade were in charge of bringing everything together. In addition, Langley said she had lots of help from numerous volunteers throughout the community.

Langley, the parade’s founder, got the idea when a friend  spoke about antique tractors he had restored. Now, five years later, Langley said she couldn’t be happier with the progress of the parade. In addition to the improvement in attendance of both farmers and spectators (the first year Langley had 50 tractors and 100 spectators), Langley said the biggest change has been in spirit. “The community really gets into it now; they really come together.”

Al Erhardt led the fifth annual parade. The leader is chosen after they have been farming for a long time, and usually alternates a farmer from PA with a farmer from NY. Erhardt has been participating in the parade for five years now and is from Calkins, PA. This year’s parade enlisted tractors from Walden, Cochecton, Roscoe, North Branch, and Livingston Manor, in addition to farmers from Callicoon and the nearby vicinity.

The parade is important, said organizers, because it recognizes the farmers of the area. “Farmers no longer get much recognition. This is a way for the community to say thank you,” said Laurie Knoop, one of the tractor coordinators for the parade. Langley agreed, saying, “We don’t do it to make money; we do it to honor the farmers and their tractors.”

In addition to the noontime parade, the Callicoon Volunteer Fire Department hosted a community breakfast prior to the parade and the parade committee had a chicken barbeque after. Kids were delighted by a pedal-powered tractor pull, built by Leroy Canfield, and a traveling popcorn maker, designed by Dan Brinkerhoff.