Many of us who live or work in Concord like to say – and most times with a smile – “only in Concord” when something occurs here that strikes us as somewhat out of the ordinary. And so it went last week when The Cheese Shop on Walden Street celebrated the arrival of “the largest cheese wheel in the western hemisphere” with its annual Crucolo parade. The tradition was started years ago and has since become a festive event that draws a large crowd of all ages gathered together to laugh, sing and enjoy a tasty Italian cheese.

Now, you might think that the “only in Concord” phrase pertains to the cheese parade itself. But if you did, you would be, oh, let’s say about 30 wheels of Crucolo cheese away. This year, for the first time ever, there were cheese parade protesters – yes, that’s right, CPPs – with signs that read “Cheese Cruelty” and “Cows Milk for Calves, Not for People.” One protestor listed on her sign a variety of countless cheese violations: CO2, Methane, Deforestation, Animal Cruelty, Disease, and a few more.

Witnessing the protestors, I couldn’t help but think of the gaping holes – and consequent pain – inflicted on Swiss cheese. Of the psychological harm caused to proud chunks of cheese when blue lines are shot through their core, not to mention the cramped and darkened spaces that cheese is crammed into for storage and shipping.

And then what about all the other non-Crucolo cheeses? How come we don’t hold parades on their behalf? At first I wasn’t so sure, but now I feel that the cheese parade protestors have got it right. One small step for cheese, one giant step for Cowkind.

Only in Concord!