Two area high school bands took home awards for their performances at the 2014 Mum Festival Parade. Pictured above are, from left, Mum Parade cochair Jack Ferraro, Lewis Mills High School Band Director John Deeb, Terryville High School Band Director Tim Keane, and Mum Parade cochair Sue Berard.
BRISTOL — Hundreds of marchers, musicians, dancers, float riders, and vehicle drivers took to heart the Mum Festival theme “Volunteers, The Heart of Bristol” to make the annual Bristol Mum Festival Parade a rousing success on Sunday, Sept. 28.
Award winners for the 2014 edition of the parade included local school groups, veterans’ organizations, scout groups, businesses, civic clubs and more. Awards presented include the Hometown Hero award, selected by 2014 Hometown Hero Bob Coffey; awards judged and selected by the mayor, festival chairperson, and parade chairpeople; one for “Best Use of Festival Theme”; and more.
This year’s Robert Bailey Best Overall award was presented to the Lewis S. Mills High School Spartan Marching Band from Region 10 schools, a perennial favorite among parade attendees. The Best Overall award, now in its second year, is given in honor of longtime parade volunteer, the late Bob Bailey, to the marching unit which garners the best overall scores in the parade as judged by a panel of professional parade judges.
FLOAT AWARDS
Mum Festival Chairperson’s Award: St. Anthony Church & School
Hometown Hero’s Choice Award: St. Joseph Church
Mayor’s Award: Bristol Historical Society
Best Business Entry: Wheeler Clinic
First Place, Best Youth: St. Joseph School
Second Place, Best Youth: Bristol Boys & Girls Club Family Center Gymnastics
Third Place, Best Youth: Cub Scout Pack 432
Fourth Place, Best Youth: Bristol Soap Box Derby
Best Use of Festival Theme: Immanuel Lutheran Church and School
Best Live Flowers: St. Matthew Church and School
First Place, Best Community: Bristol Relay for Life
Second Place, Best Community: Hillside Community Church
MARCHING AWARDS FOR MUSICAL AND NONMUSICAL UNITS
Best Overall Award, Given in Memory of Robert Bailey: Lewis S. Mills High School Spartan Marching Band
First Place, High School Band: Torrington High School
Second Place, High School Band: Northwestern Regional
Third Place, High School Band: Terryville High School
First Place, Senior Music: Connecticut Patriots Senior Ancient Drum Corps
First Place, Non Musical: St. Matthew Cheerleaders
Second Place, Non Musical: Bristol Boys & Girls Club Family Center Gymnastics
Third Place, Non Musical: Cub Scout Pack 433
First Place, Dance Group: YWCA School of Dance
Second Place, Dance Group: Nutmeg Performing Arts Center
Third Place, Dance Group: Dance Arts Center
First-Place Fire Department: Bristol Fire Department
Organizations that won a parade plaque but were not present for the awards ceremony may pick up their plaque later this week at the Greater Bristol Chamber of Commerce offices on Main Street.
For more information about the festival, or to see thousands of photos from the parade as well as from this year’s full weekend of Mum Festival festivities, visit bristolmumfestival.org.