Tractor parade to celebrate Pittsford town pride

October 29th, 2020 | Story by Keith Whitcomb | Originally posted in the Rutland Herald

Jeff Carleton, with his son, take the wheel of their 1938 Allis-Charlmers B.

While the Pittsford Haunted House won’t be open this year because of the pandemic, townsfolk aren’t letting it dampen their Halloween spirits.

Jeff Carleton, a Pittsford native who has worked at the haunted house attraction for the past 20 years, said that when he learned the attraction wouldn’t be happening, his mind turned to tractors.

Carleton and his father, Jerry, like to restore old tractors. He said that last year, he began using his 1952 Ford 8N tractor to go down to the firehouse and avail himself of the public sand pile that’s there.

“I noticed after my second or third trip that a lot of the people in town, the kids and adults and everybody, got a kick out of it, seeing the old tractors driving around, so I got the idea for the parade through that,” he said.

The Pittsford Haunted House is an annual fundraiser for the Pittsford Fire Department. In June, the department announced that it wouldn’t be taking place this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It brings in a pretty good amount,” said Fire Chief Bill Hemple, about $30,000 in a good year.

He said the organizers felt there was no way to run the haunted house safely.

“We didn’t want to put the workers in danger, or any of the people who go through it,” said Hemple.

He said the department is grateful to Carleton and the others helping with the parade and the hope is the haunted house will come back in 2021.

Carleton, who said he’s friends with or related to most of the fire department, said he began planning the event in early October, and that it’s been coming along well.

Lineup for the parade begins at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the Pittsford Village Farm near Kamuda’s Country Market. Beginning at 1 p.m., its route will take it down Arch Street, to Pleasant Street between the firehouse and the school, onto Route 7, then onto Furnace Road, down Plains Road, Pinewoods Road, Terounzo Road, then back onto Plains Road to finish at the Town Office.

Carleton said the parade should take about an hour and a half. People can sign up when they show up and the $10 registration fee will go to the fire department. He said he’s also arranged about $500 in sponsorships and hopes the event will generate at least $1,000 for the department.

“We’ve got a hay wagon my cousin brought down to us and we’re putting up their banners. I was hoping to have that done today, but the rain doesn’t seem to want to stop,” he said on Thursday. Right now, about 40 tractors are registered. The goal is to get 50.

Tractor aficionados should keep their eyes out for a 1938 Allis-Chalmers B and a 1941 John Deere LA. Those with more modern tastes will notice a 2005 Krone harvester, “one of the big ones you see out in the cornfield with the header and everything on it,” according to Carleton.

While the parade takes place on Halloween, decorating one’s tractor is optional. Carleton said people have asked if their tractors should be seasonally decorated, he’s leaving it up to the owners. His hope is that this event will become annual and be centered around town pride.