Strike Up The Boom Boxes As Parade Returns

By Michelle Warren, The Chronicle

July 6, 2021

As a former resident of New Orleans, Farmington resident Dave Kinahan and his family have attended the famous and colorful Mardis Gras parades in the Big Easy.

While the WILI Williman-tic Boom Box Parade in Willimantic is not as large, he said the Thread City’s Fourth of July celebration has a similar flavor.

As a result, the Kinahans were excited to be at Willi-mantic’s beloved parade for the first time Sunday afternoon.

The 36th edition parade was the first since 2019, as 2020’s parade was, like many special events and celebrations, a pandemic casualty.

“We are interested in this because it is not a generic parade,” Kinahan said.

Kinahan’s wife, Laurel Kinahan, won the Boom Box Mile, a road race held in downtown Willimantic before the parade.

The parade begins at Jillson Square and travels down Main Street every year.

“It’s such a breath of fresh air,” Windham Town Manager Jim Rivers said just before the parade kicked off, noting it had been a difficult year.

He said it was nice to have the parade and see people out again.

Thousands of people attend the parade every year and many businesses and organizations participate as well, with many local, state and federal political figures showing up too.

This year, Gov. Ned Lamont, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., marched, as did other politicians.

Lamont was joined by Collin Tilton, a saxophonist who is a member of the Shaboo All Stars, who played along with the WILI soundtrack.

Some noteworthy floats were the Willimantic Brewing Co. float and a military vehicle from Corleone’s bar in Willimantic with a sign reading “Fight for Your Right to Party.”

The weather was unseasonably cool and it rained lightly at times during this year’s parade, though the sun peeked out as well.

As people walked to their cars following the parade, they could hear church bells playing patriotic music nearby.

The parade has attracted state and national attention over the decades.

“Anything goes with the parade,” Willimantic resident Rachel Conlin-Mclead said.

Like others, she was dressed in patriotic attire, including a dark blue tube top over a light blue, long-sleeve shirt with maroon biker shorts and white tights.

Conlin-Mclead said she enjoys the diversity of the people and the diversity of the floats.

The event was the brainchild of Willimantic resident Kathy Clark, who died from cancer in 2003 at age 62.

Instead of a marching band, people bring radios and tune them to local radio station, WILI, to listen to patriotic tunes.

Clark came up with the idea when there was no marching band available for the Memorial Day parade and folks didn’t want the same issue with the Fourth of July event.

WILI personality Wayne Nor-man, the parade grand marshal, dresses up in a unique costume every year.

This year, Norman walked with WILI morning newscaster John Tuite.

Both men wore red and blue hospital scrubs as a tribute to all health care workers and first responders and the work they have done during the pandemic.

Instead of recognizing one or two individuals in the community, the town named all first responders and health care workers in Windham as its Romantic Willimantic Cupids this year. Norman and Tuite also wore yellow stethoscopes and WILI masks lowered to their chins.

As members of the Windham United to Save Our Healthcare Coalition, some of the health care workers protested the closure of birthing services at Windham Community Memorial Hospital during the parade.

Vernon resident Peter Sticesen, who grew up in Willimantic, said it was the first WILI Boom Box Parade he had attended in awhile and the first time his daughter, Genevieve Sticesen, and his dog, Sugar, attended the parade.

Genevieve had her nails and toenails painted red, white and blue and was wearing a tie-dye T-shirt in celebration of the nation’s independence.

“It’s more informal,” Peter Sticesen said, comparing the parade to traditional Fourth of July parades.

Windham Economic Develop-ment Commission Chairperson Pam DeVivo, whose husband, Windham Mayor Thomas DeVivo, marches in the parade every year, said she has marched in the parade before, but prefers to watch the parade and take photos.

She has been attending the parade since her daughter was young and said the parade is a form of “free expression” for people.

Ben DeVivo, Thomas DeVivo’s son, spoke about the uniqueness of the quirky Thread City celebration.

“It’s one of a kind,” he said.

Ben DeVivo said the spirit of the parade is indicative of how much the residents “love living here in this unique place.”

Mansfield resident Juston Manville, who was at the parade with his family, said it was the first time he had been at the parade in 15 years.

Before moving to Mansfield recently, the Manvilles lived in Portland, Ore.

“It was a fun day with the family in the Quiet Corner,” he said.

Follow Michelle Warren on Twitter - @mwarrentc.

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