This digital story recording was created in conjunction with the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program and its Stories from Main Street student documentary initiative, called "Coming Home." The project encourages students and their mentors to research and record stories about small-towns and rural neighborhoods, waterways, personal memories, cultural traditions, work histories, as well as thoughts about American democracy. These documentaries are then shared on Smithsonian websites and social media.

Mark Pietrowski (00:06): The parade idea started in 1981 when two children actually went to the town board meeting and mentioned about really wanting permission for the town to do a parade. The mayor at the time granted that permission. Then from there on out, Cortland started having a parade. It had first started out as a Halloween parade.

Sally Coyle (00:35): At Halloween time, they always dressed up in costume to go to school, and they would come down from the school down to where Somonauk Road is, okay, they would come down to Somonauk Road, they would stay on that side because there was no sidewalks over on this side of COR on Somonauk Road. They would stay there. They'd walk down from the school down all the way down one block and then where Casey's is, then they would turn and go up back up that way to the three blocks up there and walk around. Always, the kids loved it because they were in their costumes and showing off. That's what came into the mind of those that started the parade.

Jaxen M. (01:12): My family goes to the parade for entertainment, and my brothers sometimes likes to get the candy.

Speaker 4 (01:22): In your opinion, what is the best part of the parade?

Jaxen M. (01:25): The best part of the parade in my opinion is watching the floats and seeing if there's anybody I know in the parade.

Skakerra P. (01:31): My favorite part of the parade was really mostly the songs in the parade because we've put so much work and effort into the songs and the effort that we put into the song was so hardworking that we were just happy to even be a part of the parade and did so very well in the parade as well. I'm kind of happy that we got a chance to be in the parade and how the songs turned out because when you're playing, you're like, "We're probably not going to finish the songs in time, and we're a bit late on this song, on that song." It's kind of like if we going to finish them in time, which we did, thanks to the help of Mr. Balika.

Tessa S. (02:15): I think my favorite part was definitely the cadence, because I'm going to be honest with you, in some parts of the song, I completely forgot the notes, so I was just looking at the other trumpets like... But the cadence was always fun because it was just a time that you can take a breather and calm down, there's nothing really you need to do.

Mark Pietrowski (02:35): My favorite part of the Cortland parade are seeing all the smiling faces on the sidelines of kids that are waving and seeing all of the really neat floats that are entered into the parade. Then also going down the line of parade participants before the parade even starts, because I'm able to help present reward checks to the winners of the best float and things like that, and just kind of compliment different individuals on their floats and instrument playing and dance groups and everything like that, and just really enjoy all the talents that people bring to the parade.

Skakerra P. (03:19): We put so much work and the effort into the songs that we play that we remember. I may still memorize the songs even if it done been like a few months since we played them. We still memorize the songs without the sheet. It's kind of like it sticks in our brain because it sounds so good and peaceful.

Mark Pietrowski (03:40): The parade route has changed over the years because the town of Cortland has gotten larger.

Asset ID: 2023.05.02

Find a complete transcript at www.museumonmainstreet.org