Thousands gather for 'Andy Griffith Show'

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MOUNT AIRY, N.C., Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Thousands of fans of "The Andy Griffith Show" packed the streets of Mount Airy, N.C., for the town's annual Mayberry Days Parade.

About 3,500 people lined North Main Street in Mount Airy for the parade Saturday morning, despite the rainy weather, the Mount Airy News reported.

The parade, which began at 9 a.m. and lasted about 45 minutes, included actors from the show, sitting on top of vintage pickups or riding in antique or modern vehicles.

"The people are beautiful," said John Gelsomino of West Warwick, R.I., who has now attended Mayberry Days for six years in a row.

George Lindsey Jr., whose father played Goober on the show, hosted a special tribute at the Earle Theatre in downtown Mount Airy for his father, who passed away in May, the newspaper said.

The theater screened the late George Lindsey's favorite episode of "The Andy Griffith Show," and the younger Lindsey held a question and answer segment afterward.

When asked he felt watching his father on screen, George Lindsey Jr. replied "Proud. It's cool ... it's just cool."