The Harvest Home Parade on Harrison Avenue in Cheviot Thursday. (Brandi Stafford photos) | ZOOM |

        CHEVIOT — To the wail of sirens and cheers of the crowd, miles of hometown pride rolled through downtown Cheviot on Thursday evening.

        Buggies pulled by high-stepping horses mixed with fleets of vintage autos and law enforcement vehicles in the Harvest Home Parade, which began in 1958 and captures everything this west-side community holds dear.

        “It's symbolic of good family values, of everybody coming together,” said Tom O'Brien of Cheviot. “I'm pro anything that's family, and this is certainly a good family atmosphere.”

        Thousands of spectators lined Harrison Avenue and North Bend Road, not all of them west side residents.

Brian Wedig, 2, of Westwood watches the parade. | ZOOM |

        Mary Ann Gabel of Indian Hill came to cheer family members who rode in two of the parade's 10 divisions.

        “People were putting their chairs out last night to hold their spots along the parade route,” said Gina Harris of Covedale, a Steve Chabot campaign worker who waited in the crowd for a glimpse of the congressman.

        Elected officials rearrange schedules and cancel appointments to take their places among the parade's 250-plus entrants. Mr. Chabot flew in from Washington after casting his final vote for the week.

        “It's amazing how big a deal this is,” said Rick Finn of Westwood, who held his 2-year-old son Brandon on his shoulders. “He usually doesn't sit still for this long, so I think he must be enjoying it.”

        The Harvest Home Fair continues 5-11 p.m. today and noon-11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Harvest Home Park, North Bend Road and Homelawn Avenue. Admission: $3, free to 12 and under. Information: www.cheviot.org

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