Gene and Jennifer Cosick stood and watched the various floats, groups and participants at the annual Berlin Harvest Festival Grand Parade with their children, Andrea, 6, and Chase, 3. They, along with the throng of visitors to the grand parade which flowed down Main Street through Berlin on Saturday, Sept. 10, were delighted with the atmosphere surrounding the event, noting that this wasn’t their first time to the parade, nor would it be their last,

“Coming from a larger place like Columbus, we think this is such a great place to kind of get a feel for something a little different,” said Gene Cosick. “For us, this is like a little piece of Americana. It’s such a small town atmosphere that we really enjoy being around because it is just different from what we are used to. We looked forward to this for several weeks, and the kids were really excited to come. We all enjoy this, and we will definitely be back again.”

When the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism moved the parade to Berlin Harvest Festival weekend several years ago, the hope was that it would benefit from the rib burn-off and festival’s drawing power of both the tourists and the locals, both of whom were out in full force on a day in which rain threatened, but in the end, proved that it was all style and no substance, as the rain clouds blew past without depositing any of the wet stuff during the parade.

That was in stark contrast to the past couple of years, when a deluge of rain sent patrons scrambling for cover, and left parade participants finishing the parade soaking wet.

But for this time around, the weather cooperated, and the numbers for the parade were just as robust as they have been since the parade moved to the weekend following Labor Day.

“We’ve always said that this is an event for the locals as much as the tourists,” said Shasta Mast, “It’s always fun for people here to be able to see people in the parade that they know. It’s been a wonderful event for the whole community.”

While Mast said that the pre-registration numbers for the parade were up from last year, the threat of rain may have kept a few away, and thus the number of entries remained about on par to what they have had the past two years.

As for the parade itself, entries consisting of a large contingent of local businesses in everything from parade floats to tractors and wagons and company vehicles, the Hiland Marching Band, several local clubs and organizations, East Holmes Fire District and EMS and plenty of children pounded the pavement down Main Street, many of them hoisting candy and goodies to anxiously awaiting children along the parade route.

It all made for an enjoyable evening for the many who turned out to partake in the festive event.

“The Chamber people really make this an easy event to want to come out and be a part of,” said Robin Hauenstein, who once again announced all of the parade entries. “The Chamber people show that they really care about this event and that it means a great deal to them and to the community.

“I think the thing that makes this so appealing to the people who come locally is that it is the people that they live with and work with right here in the community. This is one of those events that just reminds us all that Holmes County is a great place to not only visit, but it is also one in which we are proud to live and work.”