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Date: 12/12/2023
NORTHAMPTON — A new community event celebrating the holiday season is coming to Florence at the end of December.
The first annual Florence Lighted Tractor Parade will scintillate the community on Dec. 29 at 6 p.m., according to Rich Jaescke, one of the organizers for the event.
After witnessing a lighted tractor parade in Saint Albans, Vermont., Jaescke and his wife Sandy — another organizer of the event — felt an event like that one would be perfect for the Florence community.
“They put on a beautiful parade with strictly tractors; all agriculture; and we just thought it’d be something that we should see down here in Florence,” Jaescke told Reminder Publishing. “We talked with Florence Civic and Business Association, showed them pictures and they were all about it.”
According to Jaescke, farmers can sign up and submit their decorated tractor using an entry form with guidelines provided by the Florence Civic and Business Association Facebook page.
The entry form states that all tractors entered in must be lighted and have a holiday theme. The form also says that all tractors must have a minimum of 1,000 lights, while tractors with floats or trailers are required to feature at least 2,000 lights.
So far, close to 20 tractors have entered in the parade, but Jaescke said that more people have inquired about the event now that it is December.
“We’re trying to get the word out to as many people with farm tractors; farmers, people with small farms, big farms, medium farms; to see if we can get them interested in participating,” Jaescke said.
The plan is for the lighted tractors to stage at Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School before the parade commences at 6 p.m. Once the parade begins, the tractors will travel through the center of Florence, up and around Look Park, and then end at the park’s visitor’s center before dispersing.
Embedded in the parade is prize money, which will be awarded based on judging conducted during the parade. According to the entry form, $600 will be awarded to the “best in show,” $500 will go to the “best antique and $400 will be dished out to the tractor with the “best use of lights.” The winners will be announced at the Look Park visitor’s center parking lot.
“This event is for the families, the kids and the community,” Jaescke said. “It’s something that I think the farmers want to make a showing and thank the people for supporting them and also to show that they’re out there.”
The snow date for the parade will be Dec. 30 with the same time and same format. Anyone interested in learning more about the event or interested in entering a tractor can visit the link to the entry form on the Facebook announcement page at tinyurl.com/rmrbpu56.
“I think it’s going to be really fun,” Jaescke said. “I think the thing that drove me on this thing is the kids, the would have something to look forward to, and once they see it, I think they’re going to have a memory that will be with them all their lives.”