Travis Hafenecker, center waves to the crowd in downtown Farmington while dressed as a Christmas tree on Saturday, Dec 3. The float he is riding on belongs to the Skowhegan Savings Bank. Brian Ponce/Franklin Journal

FARMINGTON — Chester Greenwood Day took over downtown Farmington on Saturday, Dec. 3. With ears warmly covered and umbrellas overhead, residents of the Farmington area and beyond enjoyed hot cocoa, crafts, and a parade all in honor of Chester Greenwood.

Born in 1858 in Farmington, Greenwood would change the way we enjoy cold weather at the young age of 15 with the invention of earmuffs. His early design was crude, but with some redefinition, Greenwood managed to get a patent in 1877, at just 18 years old.

Turning Farmington into the “Earmuff Capital of the World”, Greenwood’s inventions, which include earmuffs, steel-tooth rake, a wide-bottom kettle, a folding bed, a decoy mouse trip, a donut hook, and a shock absorber design still being used for landing gear in aircrafts to this day, led to him being called one of the most outstanding American inventors of the 20th century by the Smithsonian Institution.

This year’s theme for floats was “Winter Wonderland”, which many embraced with their festive decorations and fake snow.

Members of Kyes Insurance walk down Main St. in downtown Farmington on Saturday, Dec. 3. Their float design, which featured the Peanuts gang, was the winning float for this year’s Chester Greenwood day parade. Brian Ponce/Franklin Journal

Despite poor weather conditions, hundreds took part in honor of Greenwood and his contributions to the community. University Credit Union on the corner of Middle and High streets had a line out the door for their hot cocoa while dozens flocked to the American Legion across the street to visit the craft fair and grab a quick bite to eat.

Everything culminated in the parade where the Smiling Goat Precision Juggling Corp showed off their juggling skills and Kyes Insurance had themselves a Charlie Brown Christmas with their Peanuts-themed float.

The winning parade floats were announced on Tuesday, Dec. 6, with Kyes Insurance taking first place, United Way of the Tri-Valley Area taking second place and Franklin Savings Bank grabbing third place.

While few could walk away from the day completely dry, those who showed up were given a spectacle all in honor of Chester Greenwood.