Delt Warren of DeKalb has attended the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival’s parade many times, having grown up in DeKalb. However, this year’s parade was different. It was the first time he attended it with his new family, his wife Sarah and their 10-month-old daughter Lilly.

“He’s attended the parade and festival many times, but this is our first time, and our first time here as a family,” Sarah Warren said. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s exciting and makes me excited for Halloween.”

The 55th annual Sycamore Pumpkin Festival’s parade was held Sunday. This year’s parade featured 130 entries, including 14 marching bands and floats created by local businesses, banks, sports teams, church groups, dance troupes and nonprofit organizations.

“We have a very wide range of groups that participate in the parade every year,” Sycamore Pumpkin Festival Committee Vice President Bart Desch said. “We have even more entries because it is an election year.”

This year’s parade’s theme, “Parade of Pumpkins,” was submitted by 7-year-old Camryn Knox, a second-grade student at North Grove Elementary. Knox and honorary mention winners Emma Horton, a third-grader from South Prairie Elementary, and Adrian Davila, a kindergartner from West Elementary rode in a car near the front of the parade.

Knox submitted the theme because her favorite part of Pumpkin Fest is the parade.

“Usually, I watch the parade with my family,” Knox said. “This is my first time in the parade, and I get to ride at the front.”

This year’s grand marshal was Orion Samuelson, WGN Radio’s agri-business director and co-host of RFD-TV’s “This Week in Agri-Business.”

“As the grand marshal, I feel important, like I’m being treated like royalty,” Samuelson said while riding in a convertible during the parade with his wife, Gloria. “The parade is a wonderful finale for the festival. It’s like a homecoming, with entire families attending, even their pets.”

The parade started at the intersection of Somonauk Street and Borden Avenue and followed a 2½-mile-long route along Somonauk, Elm, California, State and Main streets. The parade went through downtown Sycamore and ended at Southeast Elementary School.

“The fest was started in 1962 by Wally Thurow, a Lions Club member, who loved Halloween and wanted to showcase kids’ creativity,” Sycamore Pumpkin Festival committee president Jerry Malmassari said. “It started as a pumpkin decorating contest, and then different groups and organizations wanted to help out. They wanted to host a parade, craft sales, a pie-eating contest. Now nearly everyone in Sycamore is involved in some way.”

Sycamore Mayor Ken Mundy said that his family has participated in the event for more than 20 years, from the time his children were in scouts. Mundy and his wife, Juanita, rode in a car together near the front of the parade.

“Everyone works together to make Pumpkin Fest happen,” Mundy said. “It’s a generational event, and I’m thankful and proud of everyone that participates. With the variety of events, there’s something for everybody in the festival.”

Malmassari said that Pumpkin Fest attracts between 100,000 and 250,000 spectators each year, with the parade being the fest’s most-attended event.

“Every year, we have a wonderful turnout,” he said. “I love seeing all the kids giggle and point or jump and down with excitement when their favorite float goes by. All we can hope for is good weather.”