Photos: Cutest Little Chicks Flock To Butter & Egg Days In Petaluma

PETALUMA, CA — After a two-year hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic, the annual Butter and Egg Days Parade returned Saturday to the streets of downtown Petaluma.

The beloved community event that dates back more than 100 years drew an estimated crowd of 20,000 this year, with 119 parade entries.

The festivities included other traditional events such as the popular Cutest Little Chick Contest and the Cow Chip Toss. There were food vendors galore and even a petting zoo.

The pre-parade 36th annual Cutest Little Chick contest at the Barnyard Stage drew more than 60 children as contestants, some of whom were babies as young as 3 months old.

One parade entry that had spectators dropping their jaws was a pair of very large snakes that had to be at least 6-feet-long carried by students for the Petaluma Wildlife & Natural Science Museum, which was celebrating its 30th anniversary.

This year's event theme, "Community – The Heart of Petaluma," celebrated the opportunity for Petalumans to gather together after the cancellation of Butter and Egg Days in 2020 and 2021.

"Honoring the myriad of engaged nonprofits, businesses, and volunteers with huge giving hearts that fuel our community spirit, the theme echoes what makes Petaluma such a special place to live," the Petaluma Downtown Association said.

"Petaluma is known for its strong sense of community," said Marie McCusker, executive director of the Petaluma Downtown Association. "This year’s theme shines the spotlight on our amazing businesses and organizations that connect us with one another. These relationships give us resiliency through difficult times. The return of the parade in 2022 is the ideal time to celebrate that."

Enjoy our photo gallery above, courtesy of local photographer Al Francis.

Photos: Cutest Little Chicks Flock To Butter & Egg Days In Petaluma originally appeared on the Petaluma Patch