Penngrove’s ‘Biggest Little Parade’ honors American traditions

Penngrove lays claim to the title of producing the “Biggest Little Parade in Northern California,” an annual gathering of gussied up tractors, fire engines, finely groomed horses and old-time cars that for 41 years has made a procession down Main Street on the first Sunday in July in front of hundreds of cheering onlookers wearing the colors of the American flag.

It’s impossible to prove the claim. But the homespun event draws legions in a show of pride for their town and country on the brink of Independence Day. The parade Sunday drew 76 entries, everything from decorated flatbed trucks down to kids pulling wagons and riding toy cars.

“It’s long enough and it’s short enough. One hour and it’s over. It’s perfect,” said Carol Porter, who has never missed a single Penngrove Parade since its founding in 1976. She remembers bringing two kids that first year. When her family grew to four kids, they all descended on downtown Penngrove with beach chairs and a picnic. Even though they have moved to Petaluma, they wouldn’t miss the parade.

Her son Houston Porter, now 47, who attended his first parade as an infant, arrived at 6 a.m. to set up a canopy on a special corner that has become the Porter’s viewing spot. The day before they picked up sausages from Yanni’s on Main Street to keep it local, and made sandwiches for their picnic.

Onlookers have different things they wait for.

Judi Allewelt, from Petaluma, said for her, it’s the old tractors, dusty from the farm.

“It just makes me smile to go to this parade and see them,” she said. “To me, they say Penngrove.”

John Antonio, from Cotati, comes every year with his wife, Jean. They couple arrive early to stake a prime spot in the shade.

“I think I still have a little kid in me, even though I’m 78 years old,” he said with a grin. “I just love watching the old cars and the firetrucks. It moves me away from the indoor television set.”

Kids scrambled for candy thrown by parade participants and screamed for a chance to be squirted with water by a 1929 John Bean Orchard Sprayer. One little tractor rumbled by toting an old washing machine, and there was the Dairy Princess and her court, a pair of draft horses dressed as a bride and groom, and the requisite Shriner clowns with a calliope.

It could have been 2017 or 1957.

That’s what keeps Ray Soper at the microphone as master of ceremonies.

A member since 1969 of the Penngrove Social Firemen, which puts on the parade, Soper has emceed the event for some 20 years.

“It’s a very unique tradition that has never died off,” said Soper, who did two tours in Vietnam and welcomes more than 30 veterans groups and organizations into the parade. “There’s still that ’50s mystique here in Penngrove, of people helping each other. People who buy up property and come here from out of the area don’t really get that.”

After the parade people headed to Penngrove Park, with its round white gazebo reminiscent of “The Music Man,” and filled up on American chow like barbecued chicken, pit-cooked beef and hot dogs.

Kathy Whitaker came down from Santa Rosa with her daughter, son-in-law and three grandkids, one of whom will be starting kindergarten at Penngrove Elementary School this month.

She said the event was about exposing the next generation to America’s traditions.

“Anything to do with family and fun on the Fourth,” she said. “We want the kids to experience the old- school parade and old- school family life.”

You can reach Staff Writer Meg McConahey at meg.mcconahey@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5204. On Twitter @megmcconahey.