Newtown has a theme and a grand marshal for its 2026 Labor Day Parade.

Longtime resident Bill Glass has accepted the invitation from the parade committee to serve as the grand marshal when the long-standing tradition returns to the center of town on September 7.

Glass was invited to meet the Labor Day Parade Committee in the meeting room of Newtown Police Department on Monday, June 15 for what he was told would be a special meeting of the committee. Glass has served as a photographer for the committee for a few years, and was told his presence was requested for the gathering.

When he and his wife walked into the room, however, he was welcomed by Parade President Nicole Kullgren and members of the parade committee. Not realizing they were gathered for him, Glass shook the hand of Police Chief David Kullgren and then double-checked his camera, making sure he was ready for the photos he planned to take.

Committee member Doug Pregman then leaned toward Glass and said, “Are you ready to meet this year’s grand marshal?”

As Glass began looking around the room questioningly, Nicole Kullgren stepped forward and asked the question of the evening: “Bill Glass, will you serve as the grand marshal of this year’s Labor Day Parade?”

It took a moment for the surprise to fully sink in. Momentary shock registered on his face. Glass smiled, then laughed with others in the room as he fully realized what had happened. He then said, “Yes. I’d be honored.”

Following a round of applause, Kullgren invited Glass to stand with her in the front of the room while she explained the decision.

“For more than six decades, the Newtown Labor Day Parade has recognized individuals who embody the very best of our community,” she said, reading a prepared statement. “While we gather each year to celebrate the contributions of America’s workers, we also take time to recognize those whose dedication, leadership, and service strengthen Newtown.

“This year, we believe we have found someone who truly represents those values, and we are honored to come before you with this invitation,” she said to Glass.

“For more than 35 years, you have called Newtown home, and throughout that time you have demonstrated a remarkable commitment to education, service, and community,” Kullgren continued. “We could tell stories about your distinguished career in education, the honors you have received as an educational leader, and the recognition you earned from the United Nations for your work promoting peace through education.

“We could talk about the countless community events where you can be found behind a camera, capturing the people and moments that make Newtown special. Those accomplishments alone would make you a worthy grand marshal, but they are only a small part of what makes your story so inspiring.”

A retired educator and former deputy superintendent in Danbury named The Connecticut Educational Leader of the Year, Glass also worked as a studio musician in New York City and as a martial arts teacher for clients including Connecticut State Police.

He and his wife Diane are the parents of two adult sons, both married, and have one grandchild.

While his growing reputation in town is focused on his award-winning photography, Glass is also a landscape painter, guitarist, cellist, avid Japanese gardener, and an archer. He holds six degrees including a doctorate from Columbia University, where he was named a Kappa Scholar for academic excellence.

Kullgren noted these points and others on Monday.

“You have shared your talents in countless ways throughout your life, always finding new opportunities to learn, create, and give back to others,” she said. “Your life reflects something that makes Newtown special: the belief that service, creativity, lifelong learning, and kindness all belong together.

“Whether mentoring others, supporting charitable organizations, creating art, or simply being a good neighbor, you have enriched the lives of those around you. In fact, it would be difficult to find someone in this room whose life has not been touched in some way by your generosity, your talents, or your friendship,” Kullgren also said.

After formally accepting the invitation to serve as this year’s grand marshal and then thanking the committee for their invitation, Glass and his wife continued with their evening. Diane Glass had planned an evening out with her husband, which turned into a celebratory dinner at a local restaurant.

‘A Norman Rockwell World’

Tuesday morning, Glass admitted he was still in a bit of shock.

“I was so taken aback by the invitation because this is such a great honor,” he told The Newtown Bee. A resident of Newtown for 42 years, Glass said being asked to serve as the Labor Day Parade grand marshal “is the nicest thing that has ever happened to me.

“I love everything about Newtown and so it’s always been my pleasure to be the pro bono photographer for so many of our nonprofits and other organizations that are doing so much for so many in need,” he continued.

Glass has been a freelance photographer for this newspaper for more than three years. His images regularly fill pages with the people, places, and things that catch his artistic eye, from Town board and commission meetings and planned events to spur-of-the-moment landscapes that celebrate the natural beauty of Newtown’s 60.4 square miles. His ongoing “Looking Glass” photography column has become a popular feature within our print edition, with people often stopping Glass to tell him how much they appreciate his work.

For years he has also done photography for Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary, Newtown Action Alliance, Newtown Historical Society, Newtown Stage Co, Newtown Youth & Family Services, and The Second Company Governor’s Horse Guard, among many others.

“Those opportunities have been rewarding enough so this is simply amazing. I feel blessed to be able to represent our wonderful town with this great honor,” he said Tuesday.

Like so many others, Glass is a big fan of his hometown’s parade.

“My favorite thing about the Newtown Labor Day Parade is the sense of community that it engenders,” he also said this week. “For a few hours we have the gift of living in a Norman Rockwell world. It's a peaceful old-fashioned moment in time and a much-enjoyed break from a very hectic world.”

It is difficult to imagine Glass without his smile. He is regularly seen around town wearing a shirt and/or jacket with Bill Glass Photography stitched onto the lapel area, cameras in hand or nearby. Monday evening, Glass already admitted it would be difficult to not take pictures on Labor Day despite being one of the day’s special guests.

Parade Committee member Donna Ball was the first to suggest a “Bill Cam” mounted to a hat for the grand marshal. Police Chief Kullgren took it a step further, suggesting a livestream from Glass’s point of view.

It was clear from his smile and slight nod that the wheels were already turning in the mind of the grand marshal.

Time To Register

A Newtown tradition that dates to 1962, the 2026 Newtown Labor Day Parade will step off at 10 am Monday, September 7, from Main Street at its intersection with Currituck Road. Staging will open at 7:30 that morning.

Parade Committee members this week said the application for participants will be available at newtownlabordayparade.org by June 19 if not sooner.

Sponsors have already begun offering financial support. Additional sponsors are welcome.

The deadline for participants and sponsors is August 15.

The Newtown Labor Day Parade is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It is a fully volunteer effort. Financial donations are also gratefully accepted and used toward event execution, administrative oversight, and community giving, according to its website.

For additional information, e-mail the committee at newtownldp@gmail.com or visit newtownlabordayparade.org.

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Managing Editor Shannon Hicks can be reached at shannon@thebee.com.