While Labor Day and the end of summer are a holiday that most people try not to think about, in Newtown, it's a day for celebration, as ever since 1962, the town has hosted a parade almost every year.

Parade President Nicholas Kopcik admits "I don't know why they decided to pick Labor Day.  Maybe back then they were a hard working town and they were celebrating getting back to work? I don't know."

Regardless of the reason, the parade has caught on.

These days, it's so big that people in the area start putting out their chairs, and saving their spots as early as Friday.

For many Newtown residents, like Bill Eder, it's turned into a time to come together, saying the parade is "everything, it's the camaraderie of the people, it's just the way the whole town comes out."

Elizabeth Salley agrees.  Her whole family has been coming for as long as she can remember, so she says it feels "like it kind of just became a tradition, and  as we grow up, we see different places and people that like to join."

Over the years, that has come to include most of the top politicians in the state, with Governor Ned Lamont, and United States Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal all in attendance.

"I've been to this parade for a while now," said Lamont.  "I love it, you've got the patriotism, you've got the labor day spirit."

Blumenthal was also feeling the spirit, telling News 12 that days like this show "we can still come together as a community and really unite around goals and values that are important to all of us."

That includes the entertainment, which featured classic cars, fire trucks, and even people impersonating both Tina Turner and Elvis Presley!

"The impersonators are definitely the star of the show sometimes," joked Salley.

For a lot of people we talked to though, the main highlight is near the end, when tractor after tractor drives by.

Elizabeth's sister,  Noelle, was especially excited to explain how everyone watches "like 20 or 30 guys on tractors come through and finish it up!"

But the loudest cheers came from the kids, anytime somebody came by with candy to throw to them, and Kopcik says "honestly, the smile on the kids faces.  that's the number one thing for me," and the thing that keeps him coming back year after year.