LOWELL | Happily dancing to the music of a high school marching band, 5-year-old Kylie Roth smiled and swayed before leaning forward to grab tossed candy.
"We come every year. I've come here every year since I was little," said Kylie's father, Kevin Roth, of Lowell.
With the theme "There's No Place Like Home," the 93rd annual Lowell Labor Day Parade played to tradition Monday.
The event could be a new family tradition for Tim and Mary Van, of Crete, who were first-timers to the parade.
"We're from Illinois, but we really appreciate your parade. They don't make 'em like this anymore," Tim Van said.
"I love the firetrucks. Oh, God, yes. Those and the bands are the best," said Chris Stewart, of Lake Village.
She said she and her sister from Canton, Ohio, were enjoying the parade for the first time as guests of her daughter, Melissa Stewart.
"We have four generations here," she said.
Many enjoyed antique cars, Corvettes and the gowned girls of the Lowell Distinguished Young Women's competition. Their event, once known as Lowell Junior Miss, will be Saturday.
The Three Creeks Historical Association's float touted the upcoming AppleFest on Sept. 15 amid turn-of-the-century costumed riders.
Brandon Ayala, 11, of Lowell, clapped as horses and colorfully clad couples danced past.
"I like seeing the horses. That's my family's favorite, the dancing horses," Brandon said of the Mi Ranchito entry.
Jerry Cunningham and wife Elaine, once from Lowell, came north from Florida for the parade.
"It's a family tradition," Jerry Cunningham said.
If there were a prize for traveling the longest distance, though, it would have gone to Annamaria Horvath, of Budapest, Hungary.
"I enjoyed this very much. It was awesome," she said of the parade.
More than 100 units, including a healthy contingent of labor unions and politicians, took two hours to pass by. The parade was paused for about 20 minutes to allow an ambulance to make its way through the area.
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