When the La Grange Pet Parade began in 1947, Harry Truman was president, a loaf of bread was 13-cents, a new car costs $1,300, and you could put gas in that car for 15-cents a gallon.
While those prices have drastically changed over nearly 80 years, the Pet Parade remains free for visitors.
“Marching Through The Decades” was the theme for this year’s event, which kicked off at 9:30 a.m. near the La Grange Public Library.
“This year is even bigger,” said Pet Parade director Molly Price, as the participants started marching. “We have over 130 units going through the parade and we have some amazing acts and amazing VIPs.”
The parade led off with the Color Guard from La Grange American Legion Post 1941, followed by floats featuring officials from La Grange and neighboring towns.
This year’s grand marshal was Granger, the costumed mascot for Pet Parade Charities. The junior grand marshal was Alexander Noland. Honorary grand marshals were former Chicago Bear great Dan Hampton and Olympic champion and professional hockey player Kendall Coyne Schofield.
Lyons Township High School and Nazareth Academy sent marching bands. The Jesse White Tumblers performed, as did the South Shore Drill Team and Flying High Gymnastics.
And of course, pets of every variety marched proudly in the parade.
Samantha King’s pug, “Pug Marley” won first place for his reggae-themed costume.
“This is my second Pet Parade,” King said. “He won second last year and he took first this year.”
She plans to come back as long as her 13-year-old dog’s health holds up, saying “he’s getting up there.”
The pets who were parading weren’t limited to dogs. The Martinez family from Westchester brought two ferrets, along with their three dogs.
“We love the Pet Parade. We’ve been doing it for about five years, said Anna Martinez. “At the beginning it was just the ferrets and the two big dogs. We just got Lady Lucy last year.”
Some parade participants didn’t even have to march.
Toast, a goldendoodle, napped in a wagon pulled by her owner Laura Jaworski.
“I’m Toast’s service human,” she said. “He has narcolepsy, so he has episodes of uncontrollable sleep, and that’s what’s happening now.”
The parade began in 1947 as a project of the La Grange Chamber of Commerce, whose president, Ed Breen, owner of Breen’s Cleaners, had the idea to create an event that would feature the village’s children and family pets. The parade grew over the years to include entrees from local businesses, schools and nonprofits.
Since the 1990s, the parade has been televised over local cable access on LTTV, the Lyons Township High School television station and now is run by Pat Parade Charities, which exists to help cover the expenses for the parade and contribute to local non-profit pet organizations.
Ed Breen’s son Bob, the parade’s chairman emeritus, has attended all of the parades from the beginning, and now is retiring from the role.
“I remember being in the first or second parade, because they dressed me as a clown, and I didn’t like it,” he said, laughing.
His wife, Susan Breen, said this parade was extra “emotional,” but they are “confident in the new group that’s going to carry it on.”
That group includes her son Steve Story, who said taking the reins of such a big event made him “nervous, but excited.”
“I want to keep the tradition going for him and for my mom,” Story said. “It’s just a wonderful thing.”
Hank Beckman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
