With the perfect backdrop of fall foliage from South Mountain, Falcon Nation came out in full force to celebrate the 2023 Homecoming parade and the return of the community bonfire.

One could hear from afar the musical sounds of Salisbury’s marching band, as well as the cheers from the cheerleaders, helping those watching along the parade route get into the spirit of this community get-together.

Carmen Cuba told The Press how fun it was watching the different floats and groups walking along East Montgomery Street. “The little kids are throwing candy and that’s fun,” Cuba said. It was her first year watching the parade and definitely not her last.

For the older kids, seeing the string of vintage cars from Wheels of Time was a special treat.

After the parade, Salisbury Middle School student Lila Nichols told The Press, “The parade was very fun. I liked throwing candy at people.” Her classmate, Caroline Sage added, “I like the parade because I got to throw stuff (candy) at people and the music was fun.

“I think it went very well,” Salisbury parent Veronica Ortiz told The Press. Her favorite part was watching Salisbury Youth Association cheerleaders cheering. Her daughter and nieces are cheerleaders, which made watching the parade special for her.

For members of Eastern Salisbury Fire Department, Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company and Salisbury Township Police Department, this event provided them an opportunity to mingle with residents in a fun and informal setting.

Many, especially the younger members of the community, took the opportunity to learn about the new Enduro Unit of the Salisbury Township Police Department.

Officers Bryan Losagio and Jay Vasilik posed for pictures and answered questions about these new dirt bikes.

Salisbury Middle School student Gabriel Gnall was quite excited to see the new bikes and asked Losagio, “What is it like to be in a chase on a highway on a motorcycle?”

“You have to be very careful because if you go too fast, you can lose control of your bike, or your police car for that matter,” Losagio responded. “It happens so quick that sometimes you don’t realize what just happened so it can be nerve wracking, but you need to be very careful.”

As everyone waited for the bonfire to be lit, Salisbury High School teacher Anne Ruiz explained to The Press the decision to bring back the bonfire came from this year’s senior class.

“Everyone really needs to thank Laurans Trinh and Mrs. Basile for orchestrating and bringing it back,” Ruiz said. “The parade was bigger than it has been in the last few years. Everyone seems to have come back here. People who were at the bonfire years ago said they never had a crowd like this.”

Eastern Salisbury Fire Department’s Brandon Wentz, was tasked with lighting the bonfire, as the whole community gathered in awe as the flames grew to huge heights.

Under a clear full moon sky, the bonfire provided the perfect atmosphere to end the official kickoff of the 2023 Salisbury Homecoming celebrations.