By Amy Batista, Special Writer
Tractors took the place of cars and other vehicles on local roadways July 13 during the fourth annual Central Jersey Tractor Pullers Association parade.
The 36-mile parade route started at the at Burlington County Fairgrounds at 10 a.m. and traveled through Jacksonville, Florence, Roebling, Hedding, Mansfield, Fieldsboro, Bordentown, Crosswicks, Chesterfield, Columbus, and Springfield Township.
”It’s just neat to take a ride around through the county like that and everybody enjoys it,” said Central Jersey Tractor Pullers Association President Brian Pearson. “It’s just a good day.”
The parade started when the fairgrounds moved from Lumberton.
”They made a parade from the old fairgrounds to the new fairgrounds and everyone enjoyed it so it started a little ritual every year so we’ve been doing a parade,” Mr. Pearson said.
Association Chairman Tony Knighten organized the parade.
”It’s a great group of guys the whole club,” he said.
The club has approximately 300 members. Approximately 76 tractors participated in the parade, along with 21 other participants, including local police, firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, several tractors with trailers, and the association’s honor float.
”We are shooting for 100 (tractors) on our five-year anniversary,” Mr. Knighten said.
Tractors come from all over the area and from out of state to participate in the parade.
”We have a group of guys, five of them, who came from Lancaster County, who came the last three years,” he said. “We even had a couple of drivers in from Cincinnati to drive some tractors for Paul Shinn.”
Local farmer Fred Wainwright, of Florence, participated in the parade.
”I thought it was great after being a farmer all your life,” said Mr. Wainwright, adding that he has been farming for 83 years.
His family owns a dairy farm, which he “turned over to his boys.”
He said the highlight of the parade is “just to show the community the farmers are still alive in the county.”
This year’s parade theme honored first responders, he added.
”We made a float and had around 30 different helmets loaned to us from all different towns around the county,” he said.
Franklin Fire Company No. 1 Chief Doug Goodenough, of Mansfield Township, loaned the association a water cannon for the parade.
”We loaned a hose cart, which is an 1800 hose cart, which was refurbished about 15 years ago,” said Chief Goodenough. “We also loaned, for use on their float, the piece of steal from the World Trade Center that the Fire Company acquired several years ago.”

