Healdsburg’s Twilight Parade struts its stuff for the 67th year

Healdsburg’s Twilight Parade, the antidote to the town’s image as an upscale tourist haven, was on display Thursday with a down-home celebration that embraces agriculture and young farmers.

Cowboy hats, hay bales, and prancing horses were just part of the mix as fire trucks, vintage cars, Shriners and fair sweethearts made their way through an approximate 12-block downtown route watched by thousands of spectators. The whole town seems to turn out for the parade each year, leading to an oft-heard refrain: “If you’re not in it, you’re watching it.”

Mayor Tom Chambers said the parade and the Future Farmers Country Fair that follows exemplify Healdsburg’s “small-town spirit.”

The 67th annual parade held Thursday traces its humble beginnings to 1950, when a group of about 10 men on tractors decided to drive through the town to drum up business for the fair held for agriculture students.

The parade signals the start of the fair at Recreation Park, which runs through Saturday. This year’s fair theme is “Barnyard Beach Party.”