Newark is a village in Wayne County, New York, United States, 35 miles (56 km) south east of Rochester and 48 miles (77 km) west of Syracuse. The Village of Newark is in the south part of the Town of Arcadia and is in the south of Wayne County. It is the most populous community in Wayne County.
According to John Zornow, a Newark historian, the parade started in 1936-37 as a pet parade. Jackson & Perkins (the world-renowned rose grower) was still strictly a wholesale operation, but in 1939, they went in to retail. J&P had a test garden off Madison Street in Newark, and it attracted so many people that they decided to have a rose celebration that included the former pet parade, which of course involved the kiddies.
In the 1950s the Kiddie/Rose Parade was a big deal that attracted thousands.
These fascinating color photos were found by Mark Susina that documented the Kiddie Parade in Newark in 1956.
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