|
The Lenox Chamber of Commerce The “Tub Parade” is one of those delightfully whimsical New England notions of which any Autumn visitor should not miss! What exactly is a Tub Parade? According to Bob Coakley, of the Colonial Carriage and Driving Society, it is a beautiful display of festive carriages and horses, festooned with decorative flowers from various local landmarks. (A “tub,” by the way, is English slang for a carriage, akin to referring to the family Dodge as the “chariot”). The tradition, he explained, goes back to the late 1800's, the Gilded Age of the Berkshires, when there were upwards of 100 cottages in the greater Lenox area. The owners of these palatial residences (which only the absurdly rich would ever refer to, however ironically, as cottages) took up a form of friendly competition among themselves. They would showcase their finest animals and carriages, cover them with the choicest selections from their magnificent gardens and parade them about in a highbrow display of one-upmanship. Naturally, this was great sport for the regular townsfolk, as well as giving the idle wealthy a way to while the hours before drinks at the club. This annual tradition carried on until approximately the outbreak of WWI and the advent of a more complex (and, from the perspective of these “cottagers,” usurious) tax code, when the curtain of time was drawn on the Gilded Age. More recently, the Lenox Chamber of Commerce and the Colonial Carriage and Driving Society decided to revive this tradition, though on a somewhat more modest scale. So for the last seven years (excluding last year, due to some horse-related troubles), the Tub Parade has returned! There are an average of 30 carriages, all with sponsors and showing off the same creativity, flair and opulence as their counterparts from a century ago. The parade goes through the main street of Lenox, then winds around the center of town twice. Kicking off at 1:30 PM, the parade generally lasts under an hour. The equine array is breathtaking with miniature horses, and ponies, all the way up to the highly recognizable, towering draft horses. There is no “judging” of the tubs; the spirit of this parade is to put on a good show, not compete, a concept more tied to the 1990's than the 1890's. Another interesting aspect of the parade is that a Grand Marshall is chosen each year, choosing someone who embodies the best aspects of the community. There is no admission fee for the parade. There are generally good size crowds in attendance, so come early for a good seat and a jolly good time!
Click here to continue or here to return to the introduction.
|  Click Here |
Tub Parade