No Place Like ‘Oz’ Author’s Hometown

CHITTENANGO, N.Y. —  Cowardly lions, “a ton of wicked witches” and the Munchkin coroner from “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” paraded through village streets Saturday to salute the native son who wrote the classic children’s story.

Thousands of visitors jammed the rural village of Chittenango to view the 10th annual Oz Parade, a tribute to L. Frank Baum, author of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” The book was turned into a film, “The Wizard of Oz,” in 1939.

For some, the parade showed there’s no place like Baum’s hometown on a Saturday in May.

“Ah, it’s perfect. It’s incredible,” village Police Chief Richard Carbery said of the blue skies and warm temperatures. He estimated the number of marchers and watchers at up to 10,000, including “a ton of wicked witches.”

Town officials organized the parade and festival in the memory of Baum, who was born May 15, 1856, and wrote 91 books, parade chairwoman Beverly Brickner said.