100th Petaluma Butter & Egg Days Parade Draws The Cutest Chicks

PETALUMA, CA — Despite cloudy skies and the possibility of showers Saturday, there was no rain on Petaluma's famous Butter & Egg Days Parade. Thousands turned out to enjoy the festivities in downtown Petaluma, with Saturday marking the 100th anniversary of National Egg Day and the first Petaluma Egg Day Parade held in 1918 — featured in newsreels, where floats with giant chickens boasted that Petaluma, home to six million hens laying 600 million eggs and Petaluma was proclaimed as the "Egg Basket of the World!"

A century later, the celebration kicked off with the 34th annual Cutest Chick Contest. A large crowd gathered to watch the fierce competition among 65 very young contestants vying for title of "Cutest of the Cute."

But a few of the little chicks feel asleep before their turn in front of the judges. One tiny chick was only 3 months old. There were a few crying chicks, some smiling chicks and some waving chicks but one thing is for sure: there will be lots of embarrassing photos when these feathered chicks and roosters get to high school.

The main event, the parade itself, hatched right on time at noon as marching bands, firetrucks, floats and horses entertained spectators who had come early to stake out their favorite viewing spots along Petaluma's downtown streets. In front of the historic Petaluma Library, someone hauled in a full-size couch and placed it right next to the curb for comfy parade watching.

Over 130 entries trekked through packed downtown streets with plenty of food and beverage being served nearby despite the cold, cloudy weather.

There was not a bad egg in town.

The best of the eggs, Phoenix Theater general manager Tom Gaffey, received the 2018 The Good Egg Award for his work "nurturing creativity and confidence in Petaluma’s teens and giving them the space to express it for 35 years."

Photos and story contributed by Al Francis/Napasonomaphotos.com