CORTLAND – The annual Cortland Dairy Parade is set for June 3, and there is already much to look forward to.
Tess Southern, Dairy Ambassador Chair, and Andrea Niggli, Dairy Parade Chair, both work with the Cortland Dairy Promotion to put the event together. They detailed some of what’s to expect for Cortland’s time-honored and cherished event.
“It’s been around for a long time. It’s been the first Tuesday in June for as long as Andrea or I can remember,” Southern said. “It typically runs down Main Street. Now, since construction started occurring on Main Street and since COVID, we have had to send it in the opposite direction. So, up Main Street and toward the fairgrounds. Which has been a change, but a nice change we feel, to the way the parade runs.”
Southern said this is the second year the parade will go this route, and the parade had to be canceled when wildfire smoke covered large parts of the country during summer 2023.
“The thing that I would say I look forward to every year is that it brings out so many families from across the county and outside the county,” Southern said. “And just to see everyone come together for such a good time. It’s something that I’ve been looking forward to my whole life because it’s something that we’ve always been involved in. I was a lifelong 4Her, and so my family always participated, (Niggli’s) family also always participated – it just brings our communities together.”
Niggli said the route change for the parade was a welcome one because its end point puts the focus on agriculture even more.
“We end at the fairgrounds, which is kind of a perfect fitting for the dairy because we have so much 4-H involvement, and really highlights the (agriculture) in our community. So it’s a nice way to end there.”
“We do it rain or shine — and believe me, we have had rain, we have had tornadoes, we had to cancel because of fire — people show up,” Niggli added. “They just show up to watch it, and they’re always smiling. It doesn’t matter if it’s pouring, they’ll still smile watching this parade happen.”
The parade will include any and everyone who shouts out dairy, according to Niggli. She said there will be four or five marching bands, fire departments, 4-H groups and farm supply companies taking part.
“Any business is welcome to join the parade. As long as they’re promoting the dairy industry, we don’t turn anyone away,” Niggli said. “They all just have to promote the dairy in anything they do with their floats or banners, or anything like that. Except for the high school bands, they get to arrive and play for us.”
The McGraw Marching Band, Homer High School Marching Band, Cortland Marching Purple Tigers, Moravia Marching Band and Marathon Marching Band will be playing in the parade, Southern and Niggli said. Registration to participate in the parade is open until Friday.
The parade route will pass by the hospital, and the judges’ stand will be there on the corner. Niggli said the bands will perform there before going on the rest of the route. Judges will vote on and decide on the following categories: best youth, best nonprofit, best business and best overall.
“I enjoy seeing the businesses come together, Niggli said. “Some of the businesses really go all out with their float entries and they get an award. That’s it, a simple plaque. And they don’t do it necessarily for that, they do it to support the dairy industry, to support our farmers, to support what we have going on here in Cortland County. And I think I appreciate that, growing up in a business family. Seeing the different businesses come together for something that Tess and I are both so passionate about. It’s just neat to see that.”
