Besides welcoming nearly a dozen first-timers to the line of march, Newtown's annual Labor Day Parade had everything the near record crowd of attendees expected.

Clowns and cows, fire trucks and a funk band joined sports teams, community organizations, Newtown's five fire companies, ambulance corps, and Underwater Search & Rescue team, pipers, jugglers, gymnasts and martial arts experts as the spectacle moved slowly down Main Street from the war memorial, making its turn onto Glover Avenue and finally wrapping up in front of the judges reviewing stand on Queen Street.

Governor Dannel Malloy and Lt Governor Nancy Wyman were joined by Newtown’s US delegation of Rep Elizabeth Esty, and Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, First Selectman Pat Llodra and a host of state lawmakers including Reps Mitch Bolinsky, Dan Carter and JP Sredzinski.

The town's Democratic and Republican Town Committees were both on hand showcasing their slates of candidates for this November's local elections. And most of Newtown's houses of worship were also well represented.

Check out a photo montage of images from all of The Newtown Bee photographers who were on duty throughout Labor Day's parade route this week in the newspaper's print edition and online.