BETHEL — Kate Carroll promised her friends during the pandemic that despite losing family time, jobs and vacations, one day they would dance down Main Street.
With COVID-19 restrictions loosened, Carroll is keeping her word.
“We’re going to be dancing up Main Street instead, and we’re going to hopefully have the silliest parade that has ever been created,” she said.
The fun is all part of the Festival of Hope slated all day Saturday, Aug. 14, on Bethel Common.
The first parade will be for children and start somewhere on upper Main Street and end at the common. The second one for adults will start more toward the bottom of Main Street and end at the common.
Carroll wants to signal the beginning of the festival by having all the churches in town ring their bells, one of the many unique features planned throughout the day.
Arguably the most important part of the event are the children and older adults, the two groups that Carroll believes have been impacted the most by the pandemic.
“I want the kids to decorate their bikes, I want the little girls to dress as princesses, the boys like knights of shining armor. They can be whatever they want,” Carroll said.
“If they missed a holiday during COVID, they may celebrate it at the parade,” she said. “If they want to do a costume themed around Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Halloween, they can do it.”
Seeing kids act like kids and seniors act like kids is what she’s hoping for. One possible activity is snowball fight between a couple groups of seniors using nerf balls.
“I want them to laugh like children,” Carroll said. “This past year has been a really rough go of it. I think we owe it to the children and the seniors to see what we can do to make a change. I want to make this geared toward them.”
“Anything goes, except no politics, no profanity and no violence,” she added.
No politics or religious messages will be allowed in the parade, she said.
One float will feature special Olympian Todd Hutchinson, who has earned more than 30 medals in competition.
Carroll has booked a DJ and recruited local musician Doug Alford.
“I hope when people leave the festival they will be smiling.”
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