The Crucolo Cheese Parade is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year and you won’t want to miss the festivities! Starting in 2010, Peter Lovis, owner of The Cheese Shop, began importing a 400-pound wheel of Italian cheese to Concord to help kick off the festive holiday season. Why? Well, as Peter says, “Who doesn’t love cheese?” The thousands of people who turn up each year to cheer on the parade would agree!
That first year, the wheel of Crucolo cheese was rolled through town on a red carpet. As the crowds grew, Peter needed to raise the cheese up so that everyone could see it. So, the massive wheel now rides proudly on a flatbed truck accompanied by a marching band, costumed militiamen with bayonets, dance troupes, a band, flying flags, and more. To honor the 10th Anniversary of this fun-filled event, the parade will feature a wheel of Crucolo cheese weighing a whopping 1,000 pounds!
Town officials proudly pronounce Crucolo Day at the culmination of the parade – which is promptly celebrated with a ceremonial slicing up and sharing of the giant wheel. That’s right – everyone who comes to the parade has a chance to sample the cheese.
History buffs will be interested to know that the wheel of Crucolo cheese that Peter imports each year is handmade by the Purin family in Scurelle, Italy. The Purins have been cheese makers and innkeepers since 1782 and today, the eighth generation of the Purin family continues that tradition. As the owner of a specialty cheese shop, Peter was naturally interested in the tradition of handmade, artisanal cheeses and wanted to bring that craft to Concord. The parade now draws a dedicated following of more than 1,500 people each year. So don’t miss the 10th Annual Crucolo Cheese Parade, Thursday, December 5th at 3:30 pm. 29 Walden Street. Bring your sense of humor – and your appetite!