Canceled last year due to the pandemic, a solemn Padanaram tradition is back as all three of the town’s fire districts were once again able to march through the village as part of the annual firefighters’ memorial parade.

“It’s kind of quaint for the village,” District 1 Deputy Chief Jake Bettencourt said. “Always nice to hold a solemn remembrance, because that’s what this is about.”

The annual parade is traditionally held the second Sunday of June, and is done concurrently with services across the commonwealth for Firemen’s Memorial Sunday.

Members of all three districts, led by students from Dartmouth’s marching band, marched from the District 1 station toward the Elm Street Cemetery for a short ceremony where a list of the town’s fallen firefighters is read aloud by each district, totaling nearly 300 names spanning from each district’s founding — 1917, 1921, and 1927, respectively.

According to Bettencourt, the yearly ceremony began following World War II.

“Of course, it was a lot shorter of a list back then,” he said. 

Once the service was finished, residents and firefighter families watched as the procession marched back to the Bridge Street station for refreshments and impromptu reunions of several former district officials and family members

“I love seeing this parade every year,” resident Jack Silvia said. “It was really missed last year.”

Fire District 3 Chief Richard Arruda said he was “very thrilled” to see the sizable crowds come out for the low key event.

“It’s nice to be out again,” he said. “And what a great day to hold this.”