Chester Greenwood Day is our annual celebration of Farmington resident Chester Greenwood, the inventor of earmuffs. Greenwood was only fifteen when he designed the first pair of ear protectors out of wire, beaver fur, and cloth. At the age of nineteen, he acquired a U.S. patent. By age twenty-eight, the Chester Greenwood & Company factory was producing and shipping champion ear protectors worldwide. In 1936 the company had its biggest year producing 400,000 pairs.
The annual Chester Greenwood Day is hosted by the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and takes place the first Saturday in December, bringing thousands to the area to watch and/or participate in the hour-long parade.