1,000 Pounds Of Cheese Rolls Through Concord Crucolo Parade

CONCORD, MA — People crowded the streets in Concord to watch the largest wheel of Italian cheese be carted into town on Thursday. This year marked the 10th anniversary of the Crucolo Cheese Parade of Concord and the milestone anniversary called for more cheese than the town had ever seen before — 1,000 pounds of crucolo.

The parade is hosted by the famous Concord Cheese Shop, where the giant wheel is being delivered. So what's so special about this cheese? Crucolo is a mild, asiago cheese that comes from a small town in Northern Italy. The shop has made a tradition of importing the wheel on the first Thursday of December, every year. The sheer size of the wheel also draws a crowd — in year's past the shop would haul 400 pounds of cheese into town for the parade, but this year was special.

The parade blocked off Walden Street from Main Street to Hubbard Street. The wheel was literally carted down the road in a horse-drawn carriage as spectators cheered, waving Italian flags. This year's parade was given special congressional recognition in honor of the 10th anniversary.

The cheese will be available to buy at the Concord Cheese Shop but customers might want to act quick, the wheel tends to sell out in less than two weeks.

This year's cold was no match for the Concordian's who bundled up to watch the cheese roll in and wait for a taste of the wheel. Residents packed the streets, cellphones in hand, snapping photos of the procession.

Check out some of the photos: