Marlborough – Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, the city of Marlborough honored its World War II veterans Sept. 2 as grand marshals of the 68th Labor Day Parade. Several WWII veterans rode in convertibles along the 1.7-mile parade route. Area veterans of other war eras walked or rode in an Old Town Trolley.
Continuing a longtime tradition, the Marlborough High School (MHS) Marching Panther Band was the first of several units to bring music to the parade route. The Marlborough Historical Society’s float promoted downtown’s newly-installed Museum in the Streets. Parade spectators got the chance to welcome back to the city the Marlborough Shamrocks semi-professional football team.
Among the parade’s returning favorites were multiple units of the Aleppo Shriners Clowns and the eight-horse Hallamore Clydesdales hitch.
The holiday festivities began prior to the parade with the Marlborough Lions Club’s 38th annual Labor Day Bed Race on Main Street. A record high number of 34 teams pushed beds to the finish line. Teams of four consisted of local middle and high school athletes.
This year’s winning team sponsored by the Marlborough Fire Department consisted of MHS hockey players Kyle Carroll, William Fantasia, Matt Farrell and Jeremy LaCroix. They won a $100 gift card from Main Street Café toward that morning’s breakfast. Race proceeds help the Lions Club’s ongoing charitable causes including eyeglasses for those in need of assistance.