Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 11/9/2022
AGAWAM — It’s a surprise every year for Agawam’s colleens when they see their float for the first time when they arrive at staging area for the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade. This year, the surprise may be that there is no float waiting for them.
The 2023 parade could be the first time since the Agawam St. Patrick’s Committee started choosing colleens and building floats that there won’t be one in the parade. Volunteers that design and build the floats are eager to get started on a new float, but need a large enclosed space to construct it, since they no longer have access to a building where one can be built.
Doug Reed has been involved with float construction since 2014. He now heads up the crew that volunteers its time to work on Agawam’s floats — which have won six first-place awards in seven years at the Holyoke parade.
“Traditionally, we’ve built the floats every year in a warehouse at Six Flags New England,” said Reed. “But when I approached the park last winter about using it again, they told me the park couldn’t accommodate us. I had an inkling they were done with us — and that’s unfortunate. For many years, they let us use the building during the winter when the park is closed.”
Fortunately, they didn’t need to build a new float from scratch for 2022. Reed explained that the float, built on a hay wagon trailer, is usually dismantled to be used for a new one for each St. Patrick’s parade. But since the 2020 and 2021 parades were canceled during the coronavirus pandemic, the float built in 2020 could still be used for 2022 parade.
“We stored the float — which was built in two sections — behind Sarat Ford for two years. It was difficult, but we managed to do it. Surprisingly, it stayed in good condition,” said Reed.
He explained that all excess materials, such as plywood, were removed and placed on top of the float’s two sections. Then it was covered with a large tarp. Every time one tarp deteriorated, another was placed over it — four tarps in two years.
“We initially moved it from there to my driveway — with a police escort — so we could start getting ready for the parade,” said Reed.
Then, with just three weekends to put the float back together, the Eastern States Exposition stepped up. Reed made a phone call and got permission to bring it into the Farm-A-Rama Building when the crew was hitting a tough time crunch.
“Six Flags only allowed us to work Saturday mornings, but the Big E was great, because were able to work there evenings during the week. That was a great scenario — and we can’t thank them enough for being so gracious to let us in there to finish the float,” recalled Reed.
But now that the Big E is fully open for its year-round events, it needs to use the building, Reed said.
When the parade was canceled, Reed said the decision was made to retain the 2020 colleens so they could ride on the float in the next parade. Although not all six colleens were available, three of Agawam’s 2020 colleens — now in college — rode on the float as it rolled through the Holyoke’s streets.
He said if the committee is going to build a float for the 2023 parade, which is March 19, it needs to find a place soon to construct it, since work usually starts in January.
The float has been parked in the rear of Town Hall since it was last used in this year’s Memorial Day parade. Reed said it’s easy to find a place to park a trailer, but finding a place to build a float on the trailer isn’t such an easy task.
“It’s a difficult situation. I understand that garage space is valuable — a lot of people or businesses don’t have excessive garage space.”
He said the float committee of about 12 volunteers needs at least the equivalent of two garage bays: “We need space to park the float. And then we need, some area for construction and some room for the all the painting.”
If the committee can find a space, ceiling height could be a factor in its design.
“We do build tall floats, but we build them in two sections. At Six Flags, and again at the Big E, there was a forklift available to lift up that second section. If one isn’t available, we would have to try to borrow one.”
Reed said the committee has put out feelers to find a suitable enclosed area, but he emphasized that if a float can’t be built for next year, he does have a “Plan B” is in the works, though he’s keeping the specifics under wraps.
“We are all feel very strongly that we’re not going to let the Agawam St. Patrick’s Committee collapse, even though it’s very small. We will ensure that Agawam continues to have a presence in the parade. We may not have a float, so we may have to get creative to have that presence,” he said, adding that he can be contacted at desmreed@comcast.net.
Reed added that some towns don’t have a colleen pageant and don’t have floats — South Hadley and Easthampton are two of them — but do participate in the parade with marchers.
“The float is the float,” he said. “What’s important is that the float is for the colleens. It’s their float. That’s why we do it.”