Chelsea celebrates holidays with 25th annual Christmas parade

Published 7:25 pm Monday, December 23, 2024

By Tyler Raley

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By TYLER RALEY | Staff Writer

CHELSEA – With the holiday season and the arrival of Santa Claus just around the corner, hundreds of residents and visitors lined up and down Highway 47 to celebrate with cheer at the annual Chelsea Christmas Parade.

The 25th edition of the festivities took place on Saturday, Dec. 21, featuring numerous floats, parade goers, music and thousands of hundreds of pieces of candy.

Chelsea City Councilmember Scott Weygand always enjoys watching the parade unfold every year and with each new successful iteration, he’s also able to see Chelsea’s continued growth through the turnout.

“I think it went great, it was the largest parade ever,” Weygand said. “It took a lot of work from a lot of people and the public and everybody really seemed to show up and enjoy themselves. I think it was a good time all the way around, a huge success.”

The parade featured plenty of appearances from school organizations, local businesses, law enforcement, first responders and city councilmembers, all of whom were dressed up in Christmas attire and spread the excitement of the holidays.

Weygand experienced the joy of participating in the event as he has in the past and took the time like he does every year to appreciate all that happens from those who participate.

“My favorite part is always riding the floats and throwing out candy and watching kids and everybody smile and wave at you,” Weygand said. “I would have to say that my favorite entry of float this year that I saw was the Cousin Eddy RV. That was absolutely hilarious.”

From the numerous movie references to “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” all who attended had smiles on their faces for the duration of the parade.

As Weygand reflects back on the parades he has been able to participate in during his time in Chelsea, he knows that seeing the happiness radiate from all who attend is a great feeling to end the calendar year before heading into a new one.

“Chelsea’s theme is all about family and (with) a Christmas parade, you can’t get much more all about family than that,” Weygand said. “I think that’s why the whole community shows up and enjoys it is that’s what Chelsea is all about.”

Residents also headed out to the Melrose Park Splash Pad afterwards to enjoy extensive holiday fun with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus before the Chelsea Fire and Rescue Santa Stops commenced that afternoon and evening.

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