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A master storyteller, La Conner author Tom Robbins lent his name to another well-received work here Saturday.

Only this time he did so not with his pen, but with his mere presence. And it had everything to do with fun rather than work.

That's because a large crowd – many dressed as characters from his best-selling novels – descended on town for a festive, sun-splashed afternoon celebrating the La Conner wordsmith's decades-long mastery of wit, wisdom and eclectic thought.

The timing couldn't have been better. Twenty-four hours later La Conner was shrouded in heavy overcast, a cool mist dampening spirits of those longing for an endless summer.

But there was no rain on the Tom Robbins Day parade.

Or, thankfully, on any of the day's other activities, which raised funds for children's art and reading programs at La Conner Swinomish Library.

Conditions were perfect for what many hope will become an annual celebration.

"I'd like to see this become a yearly thing," said Skagit Valley resident Glen Johnson, one of several hundred people gathered at First and Morris for the parade. "I've been talking with (Mayor) Ramon (Hayes) and (La Conner Chamber of Commerce Director) Mark Hulst about it."

The parade, with Robbins, now 91, seated next to his wife, Alexa, on La Conner's vintage white 1941 fire engine while wearing a royal crown – in keeping with the event's King for a Day theme – went past onlookers lining both sides of First Street.

"It's hard to say, but I'd guess there are probably a couple thousand people in town," said Skagit County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Brad Holmes. "There are probably about 400-500 people around Gilkey Square alone."

Town Administrator Scott Thomas, who had his pooch "Beau Doodle" in tow, likewise said it was hard to estimate how many people were here Saturday to honor the author of acclaimed releases, including "Another Roadside Attraction" and "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues."

Parade participants and attendees arrived from as far as Ireland, upstate New York and Phoenix, said La Conner photographer and Weekly News contributor Nancy Crowell.

"We met people who said they went to school with Tom and wanted to be here because they hadn't seen him in years," said Gary Ladd of Skagit Bay Search & Rescue, helping at the festivities.

"I'm a long-time Tom Robbins fan," said Ryan Boudinot, of Seattle, who took in the scene with members of the author's family, including his son, Seattle-based freelance writer and editor Fleetwood Robbins.

Retired radio personality Don Wick, who viewed the parade from the sidewalk in front of the Seaport Building, recounted an interview he conducted with Robbins for KBRC some four decades ago.

"I remember that it was in the late '70s or early '80s and that it was a one-hour interview," Wick said. "He was very nice and very cooperative to be interviewed."

All either had personal connections with Robbins, a native North Carolinian who worked as a Seattle journalist before moving to town in 1970, or were inspired by his books.

A loud ovation erupted once the parade began and spectators had caught sight of Robbins extending peace signs and flashing his trademark grin.

Following was a wildly entertaining serpentine that featured vintage vehicles, bagpipers, miniature donkeys, a costumed Santa Claus riding his beach cruiser bicycle, an orca decorated cycle, a car colorfully adorned with Barbie dolls and pink flamingos and dancing cowgirls in tribute to the novel that was adapted into a movie in 1993.

Hayes, who rode in one of the parade cars, had beforehand issued a Town proclamation in recognition of Tom Robbins Day that cited the novelist's prolific award-winning writing career and "devotion to optimism, joy and happiness."

Resident Marna Hanneman echoed those sentiments.

"The crowd was amazing," Hanneman said of the widespread support for Tom Robbins Day. "The parade really knocked it out of the park and I appreciated all the people who dressed in costume. Did you see Joan Cross? She was a beet and it was great."

Following the parade many continued to mill around to enjoy music played by the Skagit Brass Quintet and witness a true Robbins favorite: a Spam carving contest.

Event planners, spearheaded by Gina McCarthy and Meg Holgate, couldn't have been more pleased. The smiles sported by those in attendance confirmed the day's success.

Resident Brad Bradford summed it up best.

"La Conner," he predicted, "won't soon forget this day."