At five minutes past noon Sunday — because the early bird gets the worm but Edison gets the crowd — the Edison Chicken Parade strutted into action.

For a glorious several minutes, the town wasn’t just pecking along — it was positively egg-static.

A towering yellow rooster with serious peck-sonality led the procession, waving like poultry in motion. Behind him waddled an inflatable hen carrying a small rider, proof that in Edison, you’re never too young to join the coop. Spectators lined the street, bundled against the February chill, clucking approval and feathering the sidewalks with applause.

Pet chickens rode in arms like VIPs (Very Important Poultry) while costumed marchers flocked together in a dazzling display of fowl play. The whole affair was delightfully brief, no one trying to rooster up more attention than necessary.

And just like that, it was ova.

Photos by Nancy K. Crowell