Thousands gathered in Northfield Monday morning for Labor Day festivities and the annual parade.

It was a sight to see in Northfield as crowds lined the street to see hundreds of Norwich University cadets march in formation.

"They have a line of march that goes, I don't know, maybe 15 minutes, at least," said parade announcer Dex Rowe.

The cadets were just one part of the parade, though. Several bands, including bagpipers and a fife and drum corps, provided plenty of tunes.

This year's theme was Vermont Wildlife. Floats featured critters commonly seen around the state. But Richmond's Mike Parent in his non-native camel costume also entertained the crowds.

"The kids all love it, and the adults too. It's quite a crowd pleaser. It draws a lot of attention," Parent said.

Labor Day in Northfield is a weekend event with plenty of food vendors. That's what brought a pair of friends out.

"The food -- like the fried Oreos and the fried dough and stuff. And the rainbow ice, obviously," said Meera Nair of Northfield.

"I really like the food. Taco salad -- the main reason why I come here," said Asiya Ussi from Massachusetts.

Dex Rowe has been announcing the parade for 15 years. It's an event he's championed since moving to town.

"It's a good community event. When I first moved here 27 years ago and my real estate agent said, 'You've got to go to Labor Day. It's a big thing around here, everybody comes.' And yeah, they really do," he said.

Rowe says the planning committee will get to work on next year's events soon, to ensure the tradition continues.