Scooters and bikes were both popular ways to move through the Push-n-Pull Parade.

Photo Credit: Greg Canuel

Of course, the smarter kids had their parents pull them along.

Photo Credit: Greg Canuel

The Hendricksons (L to R): Catherine, Jake, Jake Jr., Caroline, and Marty.

Photo Credit: Greg Canuel

Charlie Emel was too busy having fun to pose for a picture.

Photo Credit: Greg Canuel

Corbin Spivey, on the other hand, was able to multi-task.

Photo Credit: Greg Canuel

David Bellingham and his son Timothy hang out in Tilley Pond Park.

Photo Credit: Greg Canuel

A few lucky kids got to ride in the fire truck bringing up the rear.

Photo Credit: Greg Canuel

The Kisers cool off with some ice cream. From left: Brandt, Chris, Charlotte and Amy.

Photo Credit: Greg Canuel

Linda Romanowski and her son Luke, who may have been a little tired by the end of the parade.

Photo Credit: Greg Canuel

Sam and Emily Harris had the right idea...they brought own shade.

Photo Credit: Greg Canuel

The children are coming! The children are coming! Thousands of Darien kids and parents took a midday ride through town for the YWCA’s sixth annual Push-Pull Parade. Bikes, scooters, strollers and wagons packed the Post Road curb-to-curb.

But the fun didn’t stop when the parade reached the end of the line. Families thronged Tilley Pond Park for an after-celebration. Alex and the Kaleidoscope Band led a sing-and-dance-along through the afternoon. And to combat the 85-degree temperatures, a pair of Good Humor trucks handed out ice cream, the lines of waiting customers curling around with hungry families looking for a sweet treat.

Jake and Marty Hendrickson just moved their three kids, Jake Jr., Caroline and Catherine, to Darien from New York City. With Jake’s bike decked out for the occasion, they made their way to the parade as one of their first tastes of small-town life. They said their new neighbors at the parade were very welcoming. “It’s been a very happy transition for us,” Marty said.

As for the parade itself, the Hendricksons, like all families who showed up, had a blast. Marty said she felt like a kid again herself, calling it a “slice of yesteryear.” She added, “It was so sweet. It’s like a throwback to our childhood.”