It's Official – Labor Day Parade is on for Oct. 9

In consultation with Newtown Police Chief Michael Kehoe and First Selectman Pat Llodra, the head of the Labor Day Parade committee announced the Newtown parade will be held at 2 p.m., Oct. 9.

Originally scheduled for Labor Day, Sept. 5, the parade had to be canceled for that day due to safety concerns, including that recovery efforts were still ongoing following the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene, officials said.

The call was made on Friday, and Kehoe said Tuesday that in retrospect, it was the right decision. Several hundred homes remained without power and dozens of streets still held obstructions in the roadway that day.

"There were so many unknowns Friday that you didn't know," Kehoe said.

While the parade is typically held during the morning hours, on a Sunday, that may conflict with other events going at the same time, namely that many area churches in the vicinity hold Sunday services that morning.

As a result, the start time, which in past year had been at 10 a.m., will now be pushed back four hours, Beth Caldwell, chairman of the parade organizing committee said.

While parade organizers will expect to lose some participants with the new date, others have been able to accomodate the change, including the Wells Fargo horse-drawn carriage, the large U.S. flag that is unfurled during the parade and the flyover, Caldwell said, adding that with school be in session, many new bands also now might be available to participate.

Organizers never thought about canceling the event, Caldwell said.

"It's still going to be a beautiful parade," she said. "It's going to have the spirit and energy that it's always had, and maybe it'll be even better."