LA VERGNE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Families filled the streets of La Vergne Saturday for the city’s annual Fall Festival, a community tradition for more than 50 years.

People of all ages commemorated the new season with food, rides, and a parade starting at La Vergne City Hall and ending at Veterans Memorial Park. This year, the celebration carried special meaning as city staff named longtime resident Marty Luffman as the parade’s grand marshal.

“It used to be Old Timers Day, and they changed it to the La Vergne Fall Festival,” Luffman, the county historian, said.

Luffman, now 75, began working on the parade when he was in his 20s. On Saturday, Sept. 20, he took center stage as residents cheered him on along the route.

“When Chuck called me up and said, ‘Hey, you’ve been nominated for grand marshal,’ it was, like, overwhelming. I just couldn’t believe what he was telling me,” Luffman said.

This honor came just three years after Luffman was in a serious car crash that left him with injuries to his neck, back, and spinal cord. He said his recovery was long and difficult, still getting him down now and then, but encouragement from his community keeps him moving forward.

“So many people were writing me, saying, ‘If it wasn’t for you, I could not do what I’m doing today. You were my inspiration,'” he said, adding that if it weren't for his community, he wouldn't be here either.

Looking ahead, Luffman said he plans to continue physical therapy with hopes of walking again by next October. If he does, he has his sights set on taking his 1955 Chevrolet to the Route 66 Festival.

For now, Luffman said he is grateful to have shared the moment with his family: “Just, like, 50 years ago, I was a grunt out here, making it happen, and now they're recognizing me for what I did. It's very emotional...and my son and grandson [were] with me. They were in the car in front of me, and I was real happy about that, them sharing the moment with me.”

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/la-vergne-rings-in-fall-celebrates-county-historian-at-parade/