It's been some time since Cochranites have been able to come together to celebrate as a community.

The return of the Labour Day Parade may have seen fewer entries, but it was a good first step in a world still finding its way through the pandemic.

"This is the way it's supposed to be," says Marina Chabbert, of Cochrane and Area Events Society (CAES).

"It's nice to see the streets lined with people. It's a community feeling, so that's our goal and that's what we've achieved."

Prior to the parade, five street performers were scattered along the parade route. As well, Wish I May and Batman roamed the streets and were a big hit with the youth and older fans.

Kailey Mitchell, also of CAES, says they quickly received positive feedback about the introduction of the Three Hat Circus. The acapella group Hoja, Mini Thni Dancers, and Richard the Magician were all enjoyed by audiences in the Historic Downtown, as were the Chinook Line Dancers in The Quarry.

The Cochrane Pipe Band lead the 50 entries through downtown. It was a mixture of colorful floats, decorated vehicles of all vintages, plenty of horses, dancers, a little bit of music, a few laughs, and giveaways.

Chabbert says they were short of volunteers this year, making it a little more challenging to man all the areas along the route, but they are happy with how it all turned out.

Awards were presented in six categories for the parade. It was the Shriners who were declared best overall entry. They delight the crowd, and the kids in particular, with their grounded-winged wonders, segways, and decorated vehicles.

Also recognized were: Guns of the Golden West, Most Creative; Men in Kilts, Best Corporate; Cochrane Public Library, Best Nonprofit; Cowboy Church, Best Horse-Mounted; and Snap Dance Studios, Most Entertaining.