On Sept. 21, Brookline hosted its much anticipated Brookline 250th Parade. After three years of preparation, the parade was accounted as the largest parade in the state for 2019. With 160 different floats and over 1500 participants, the two hour parade was a joy for all who attended. Between the local businesses, school bands and clown cars, the parade’s wide variety of entertainment captivates citizens of all ages.

Sheryl Corey, Brookline resident and event chair, was the first person to discuss having the event. Corey said, “I think it was me, I think I pushed for it, so I asked friends of ours if they wanted to get out a committee for the 250th.”

The committee for Brookline’s 250th celebration began three years ago to create a parade to remember the rich history of the town. Corey created a board with the main townies of Brookline who were willing to lend a hand to pull off such a big event. The parade did not cease to impress as the town had to close multiple roads due to the extremely large number of people coming to enjoy the parade.

The Parade Chair, Carol Farwell, is a local Brookline resident that has a history with her involvements in planning various parades, also including the annual Brookline July 4th parade. Her contributions to the parade directly affected everything that happened on Saturday. From color coding the different groups of floats to making sure to include everyone in the parade, Carol worked continuously to aid this parade and its participants. 

“I hope [the people] have a great memory in Brookline whether or not they have been here for 10 years, 20 years, 40 years, or 10 minutes. Small town America is still alive and well, but something like this and the amount of people that have come out for it, they’re ready to celebrate Brookline’s 250th birthday,” said Farwell.

The top sponsor for the event was Cindy Gorgoglione, solely named the Platinum Sponsor. Cindy is a representative of the Brookline Lions Club, and donates her time to work the Snack Shack at Town Field during baseball season. Being a Platinum Sponsor for the event is very important to her. “Brookline has given back to us a lot and have given us a lot of customers in Brookline. I’ve always felt that you have to give back, I just felt like I really wanted to be a part of it, and I love Brookline and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else,” said Gorgoglione.

Cindy, who was also on the parade committee, was given multiple tasks for the parade, including the selling of merchandise and finding local sponsors willing to donate. Many local sponsors like DECCO, Camp Tevya, and Chrysanthi’s all contributed to the parade. As donations for the parade came pouring in, Cindy said, “Everybody has been more than willing to help out on this parade whether it be financial wise, food wise, everybody in this community has been very helpful and responsive to giving.” The amount of donations were very beneficial to Brooklines 250th, as multiple units had to be paid in order to have them join. 

The Brookline 250th Parade is a day to remember for old and young alike. The two hour event will be a historic staple for the town of Brookline in years to come.