‘Pet Parade’ at Manross brings joy on a rainy day

Children gather alongside judges Taylor Adams, left, and Karen Penda, right, holding their certificates. | Maria Caceres

Posted By: David Fortier August 20, 2024

By Maria Caceres

Families gathered while children giggled to take pictures together with their stuffed animals at this year’s “Pet Parade” at the Manross Memorial Library earlier this month.

“It’s really nice to see the kids get together and play and interact,” Karen Penda, organizer of the event, said.

This was Penda’s third year organizing the Pet Parade.

The program, held on Saturday, Aug. 10, included an arts and crafts table, an ice cream table and a book reading for children to sit on the rug and listen while judges created certificates for the stuffed animals. The 2024 Mrs. Connecticut American Woman of Service, Taylor Adams was one of the judges alongside Penda.

Janet Heath, a grandparent who came with her family said she used to live around the corner of the library and used to come all the time as a kid and eventually with her own daughter.

“To see parents getting involved is also nice,” she said. “People really enjoy the tradition [the pet parade].”

Heath said that in 1993, her daughter had gone to the pet parade program and had her picture taken for the newspaper. She said now she came with her daughter and her granddaughter to the same program and loved to see the tradition is still going.

Despite not being able to bring live pets to the event, Penda said, people were still saying the program was very fun and that they love the programs the library hosts.

Beth Martin, a librarian who helped run the program, said the library held the animal parade and judges gave certificates to those who brought a stuffed animal. She said the library tries to hold programs to help kids become more interested in the library and want to come back.

“We always try to offer a variety of programs that the main library might not be able to, Martin said.

Martin said around 20 families came to support the program and to find an activity on the rainy day.

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