It was hard to miss the return of the Littleton Fire Muster.

After a year off, the annual shindig celebrating the legacy of the American fire service came roaring back down Main Street in Littleton on June 19, with a fire truck parade that lit up Saturday morning with lights and sirens.

More than two dozen vintage fire trucks from the Mile High Hook and Ladder club rolled by, joined by mighty active-duty rigs from South Metro Fire Rescue and the Denver Fire Department.

As the eye-catching assemblage “mustered” at Arapahoe Community College, throngs of youngsters gathered to clamber on fire trucks and dance beneath the spray of firehoses.

This was the 35th annual incarnation of the event, long sponsored by Schomp Automotive, not counting last year when the Muster was called off during the depths of the COVID crisis.

But last year felt like a distant memory amid the Muster’s revelry.

“This just shows the community missed us,” said Pete Webb, the president of Mile High Hook and Ladder. “We love to see this community spirit, and we’re proud to share the history and value of the fire service. It’s great to be back.”