NEVERSINK – The parade at the Daniel Pierce Library’s Giant Pumpkin Party have long been a staple of the community-wide fall fest. In recent years, however, the tradition has halted and taken a back seat to other events. However, that could soon change as of Neversink’s May meeting.

Speaking before the town board, Daniel Pierce Library Board of Directors member Bill Richardson pitched what he described as an “exploratory question” on reviving the parade component and getting it marching back to the event schedule of the day.

“Daniel Pierce Library Giant Pumpkin Party is thinking about a parade this year,” Richardson revealed. “Getting back to a parade.”

The town board’s reception was immediately positive, as Supervisor Chris Mathews expressed that he was “totally supportive of that.”

While Richardson stressed that no official decision had yet been made, he stated that organizers wanted to review the concept with the town prior to taking the next steps into planning.

“We figured we might as well see what that would entail and see if there were any questions or concerns from the board perspective,” Richardson detailed.

Among those talks were logistical considerations such as getting permits from the New York State Department of Transportation because state roads will be utilized for the route should the parade commence.

“We have the state road. We have to get a state permit,” Richardson reminded, making clear that the process would necessitate approval through the DOT.

The possible return of the parade would rejuvenate a Giant Pumpkin Party tradition fondly enjoyed by many attendees. Past parades began near Tri-Valley Central School before marching down Route 55 into the fairgrounds.

Reminiscing on those previous parades, Mathews spoke on the feasibility of potentially returning to the original route and if that would be the easiest venture.

“It always worked,” Mathews agreed. “Why not go back to the old formula?”

Also in the discussion was the larger fall event calendar for Neversink, which is expecting the Sullivan County Volunteer Firefighters Association Parade planned for September. Richardson stressed the fact that the Daniel Pierce Library didn’t want the events overlapping or being held within mere weeks of each other.

“There’s a possibility … of [there] being two amazing parades in the fall,” Mathews acknowledged.

He noted that while the events could overlap in some ways, they would probably attract different audiences and feature separate community experiences.