Photos: Parades In Natick Celebrate 2020 Graduates

NATICK, MA — Three parades celebrating Natick students rolled through town on Friday afternoon, delivering a boost to students whose school year was cut short by coronavirus.

The parades began around 2 p.m. leaving from three sites around town — Natick High School, Wilson Middle School, and the Cole Center. The parades featured dozens of cars with Natick police and fire vehicles in the lead. The district estimated that as many as 80 local educators took part in the spectacle.

Here's a video of one car parade leaving Natick High School:

Other towns, including Milton and Franklin, have held similar graduation parades. Milford is holding one on Sunday with up to 250 participants expected.

The Natick parades are similar to a national trend that grew out of the pandemic. In Massachusetts and across the country, community members, police, firefighters, and more got together in caravans to celebrate birthdays, retirements, and health milestones — a safe way to party during a pandemic.