ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – The City of Escanaba’s annual Christmas Parade will take place on Friday, December 1. The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is making the public aware of some important changes to this year’s event.
The parade’s usual start time will be an hour earlier, now starting at 6:00 p.m.
“We’re hoping that it might be a tad warmer when the parade starts, just as it’s getting dark,” DDA Director Craig Woerpel explained to WZMQ 19. “It also provides the opportunity especially for smaller kids to come and enjoy the parade so they’re not up quite so late. A lot of parents were asking for that.”
Rather than taking the traditional route, the Christmas Parade will begin at City Hall and lead to Stephenson Avenue. According to a press release by the DDA, the route will allow staging into Ludington Park and ending at the west end of the Upper Elementary School. The parade will turn at Stephenson Avenue and disperse on 1st Avenue North at the school.
Following the parade at the Escanaba Marketplace, kids can sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what they want for Christmas. There will also be music and hot chocolate.
“Besides it being cold and trying to get people off the street as quickly as we can, the idea is to provide a little bit more of a festive atmosphere,” Woerpel said. “Although Santa was at our tree lighting, he didn’t have a chance to talk with each kid individually, so this is an opportunity to be able to do so.”
Woerpel says the parade and activities at the Marketplace will allow the community to come together as the Christmas season ramps up.
“And boy, are they coming together!” he said. “We have over 65 entrants in the parade. We have nearly 100 kids that have signed up to be the prince and princess, which will be drawn Wednesday morning. The Escanaba High School Band, Escanaba City Band. It’s just great to see so many people interested in celebrating Christmas.”
Parade participants will begin lining up at City Hall at 5:00 p.m.
