Monday, September 2nd, 2024

2024 Grand Marshals – Jim & Sue Shortt

Bee Photo, Cross

Many thanks to our beloved Newtown Bee for this recent article about the committee’s selection.

This year’s theme was

“Garden of Plenty”

The Newtown Labor Day Parade Committee is pleased to announce Jim and Sue Shortt as the Grand Marshals for the 62nd edition of the Newtown Labor Day Parade.

Jim and Sue have been an integral part of our community for years.

Shortt’s Farm is a beautiful 6-acre, USDA-certified organic vegetable farm located at 52 Riverside Rd, Sandy Hook, Connecticut.

Shortt’s Farm was founded in 1995 by Jim and his late mother, Dolly Shortt. Jim and Dolly farmed the original 4-acre property on Riverside Road, and the store carried a mix of veggies, plants, and animal feed. A garden center was added, and they sold a variety of trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals.

They purchased a Cherry Street property in 2008, adding 10 acres to the farm, closed the retail garden center, and changed their focus to farming. We started our CSA and have since grown this incredibly popular program. Today, we still sell our vegetable plants and some gardening-related products.

In 2021, they purchased 6 acres adjacent to our Riverside Road property and have been transitioning it into more farmland for them to cultivate.

Sue, Jim, and their sons James and Jesse are first-generation farmers who grow and sell many different types of vegetables, including hard-to-find heirloom varieties. They also have everything you need to grow your own food with the very best bedding plants, fertilizers, and mulch for your garden. In addition to organic produce, they have farm fresh eggs, Ferris ice cream, local honey, syrup, pickles, and jams/jellies. There are many benefits to shopping locally. The food tastes better and is more nutritious, and collectively, we are helping to create a stronger local food system as we support small farms.

Sue and Jim are excited to constantly expand their farm, hoping that James and Jesse will be the second generation to continue serving Newtown and surrounding towns with amazingly fresh produce and local products from other small businesses in the area.

Shortt’s Farm is an old-fashioned, family-run business, and they hope to continue the tradition for many years. Though the farm is growing, they remain steadfast in their mission to make local, organic, fresh products available, with love, from our family to yours.

2024 Parade Program

SUPPORT THE PARADE!

The Newtown Labor Day Parade has been a staple community event for the past 61 years. Please help us keep the spirit alive and donate now.

CONNECT WITH US!

View and share photos, and get the latest parade updates!

Thank You!

Honoring William Brimmer

This year, we posthumously honor Mr. William Brimmer. Bill was a longtime community resident with many accomplishments throughout his career and within the community. Bill was an essential part of The Newtown Labor Day Parade, many of you may remember him standing proudly on the stage as one of our treasured emcees.

We will miss Bill tremendously and offer our continued thoughts and prayers to Bill’s family, his many friends, and colleagues.