Parade season is well underway! 
We are looking forward to your company on Wednesday, August 9, 2017 in our little town of Cochranton when 'thousands' come for our street party and fair.  Updates forthcoming. 
Theme this year is "Country Scenes" for both the Fair Parade and our fund-raising event Christmas Tree Lane. 
Online applications for the parade are available as of today; PDF versions will be available mid-May (that you may download and print out).
We are always looking for volunteers and welcome new faces!  Contact us at cfp@mdvl.net !

    Technology is meant to make our lives more efficient, less stressful, and overall better than they were pre-technology.  I'm beginning to seriously doubt this.  Those doubts have been around for quite some time.
    Every year as the parade draws near, technology seems to become possessed by the spirit of a full moon or perhaps gremlins.
    The committee graciously appreciates the support of all our participants when there are delays of any kind.  We do our very best to run an efficient operation, but, more importantly, a fun-filled parade experience for participants and spectators alike. 
    Technology interferes and sometimes it seems as though we should go back to old-fashioned methods.  By the same token, technology allows us communication without busy signals, the ability to leave messages, and the ability to reach more people than ever before.
Good and bad, like all things in this world, technology encompasses a bit of both.
    Plans were to be sending out parade numbers today and this evening.  Looks like that will be happening the day prior to the parade and the day of the parade.  We thank you for your good spirits and look forward to seeing you Wednesday evening! 
    To our spectators, c'mon down to Cochranton and check out all the fun things at the fair before and after the parade!  Live band at 8PM following the parade!  Food of all types at the fairgrounds!  Animals to pet!  Rides for the kids!  Home-show exhibits!  Games to play!  Friends to make! 
    Remember, please, walk-ins are not permitted in our line-up.  To those who applied and are registered, we look forward to seeing you at sign-in!  If you missed applying for this year's parade, send us your contact information and we will make sure you get an invitation next year!
    As the years go by, our committee members get a bit older and eventually retire from parade duties.  We encourage you to consider getting involved and joining our fun group so that this tradition in our community may continue for many years!  Please get in touch with us and join us!  First requirement:  you should really love a parade!  Requirement Number Two:  You must be willing to volunteer your time; parade committee members are volunteers, unpaid
See you at the fair And at the parade!   For fair information, please visit the new website www.cochrantonfair.org .

Oh goodness what a busy spring it has been!!  Hope you all are ready for a great summer!
Apologies to all of you who are internet savvy that it took longer than we anticipated to get all the necessary paperwork uploaded and forms created.  Sometimes technology cooperates, sometimes not.

Happy to say that now the Invitation Letter (important parade details), Policy Brochure, and Application forms (yes, there are two forms for horses/animals) are now available!  The applications are available in both PDF (downloadable/printable format) and as fillable online forms; whereas the letter and policy brochure remain in PDF format.

We look forward to seeing everyone's creativity with this year's theme:  "Treasure Your Dreams!"

Many changes have occurred in the past twelve months, both in public for our events and in private in the personal lives of our committee members.  We know the same holds true for many of you as well. 

We sincerely hope that 2014 brings good things to our community, our events, and all of you as individuals.  YOU are the lifeblood of our community, from organizing events, participating in them, and teaching your youngsters about community involvement.

The announcement of our themes for the parade and Christmas Tree Lane will made in the very near future.  We hope you will be as excited as we are as we all envision their implementation!

In the meantime, there is a topic we need to share with you, our neighbors.  It is not a pleasant topic, but one which needs to be shared and addressed. 

There is an epidemic in our country and that is the lack of volunteerism.  It is rampant from churches to veterans posts, from fire departments to children's organizations, from sporting events to fund-raisers for schools.  Only YOU can change this.  You, your children, your families, your friends. 

WE can do this.  TOGETHER.  You and each one of us, but we have to do it together.  What is the best way to keep things going?  VOLUNTEER!

Volunteer for committees, for work details, for planning groups, for clean-up groups.....Volunteer as scout leaders, as cooks for events, as workers, as leaders, as YOU doing your part!  It isn't as hard as it seems.  Truly. Don't wait for someone else to do it.  It is up to you and everyone around you to make a difference. 

When we all wait for someone else to do it, eventually we discover that no one is doing it and nothing gets done.  We then find ourselves wondering what happened and why no one did anything to prevent the group's demise, the event's closing, the lack of interest by the community.  Sadly, some never realize that they are participants in the community and could have been the ones to save events and organizations. 

YOU can break that cycle.  Yes, YOU.  This year.  2014.  Let it be your year to step forward and say, "I'm here, what can I do to help?"

Where will you volunteer?  At your church?  At the fire department?  At your veterans posts?  At the local fair?  At our own local parade?  At the soccer fields?  At the PTO? 

Look at your skills and step out of your comfort zone.  Are you a good work?  A good leader?  A good seamstress?  A good cook?  Are you musical?  Are a gardener?  A farmer?  So many talents are out there to be shared!  Share yours!!

If you would like to share your talents in putting on a parade or our main fund-raising event Christmas Tree Lane, let us know!  There is a contact form right here on this website!  Get in touch today; we'd love to have you join us! 
(If you're talents are in other areas, get in touch with some of the other great local organizations and sign on!  It's a decision you will be content with in your years to come and I know the other area groups would love to have your help!)

Thank you for reading, contemplating, and volunteering.  Your help is invaluable and needed!  You are important!!