Three Christmas parades are scheduled to be held next week in Jefferson County, with two more slated for the following week.
The Twin City Christmas Parade is set for 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2, followed by the Pevely-Herculaneum Christmas Parade at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, and then the De Soto Christmas Parade at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7.
Both the Hillsboro Christmas Parade and House Springs Lions Christmas Parade will be held the following week, on Saturday, Dec. 14. The Hillsboro parade will be held at 5 p.m., and the House Springs parade will take place at 7 p.m.
The Kimmswick Christmas Parade and Open House was held Nov. 23.
Twin City parade
The 75th annual Twin City Area Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade, set for 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2, is being held a bit later than usual this year due to a quirk in the calendar, said Mary Zebrowski, chamber executive.
“It’s always the first Monday after Thanksgiving, and Thanksgiving is late this year,” she said.
Despite the later date, people can expect all the fun and spectacle the parade typically offers, Zebrowski said.
The parade theme is “Christmas Through the Decades.”
“Pick a decade and decorate accordingly,” she said.
There’s still time to enter the parade, and registration is free, Zebrowski said.
“We have 70 so far,” she said Nov. 14. “We had about 90 last year. That includes floats, cars and trucks, dance groups, high school marching bands, other groups.”
Those who take part in the parade are asked to line up by 6 p.m. on the east end of the route, she said.
“It lines up on Mississippi Avenue and neighboring streets in Crystal City,” Zebrowski said.
From that area, the parade travels west on Bailey Road, which becomes Main Street in Festus, finishing in front of the Festus Public Library, 40 W. Main St.
“It usually lasts about two hours,” Zebrowski said.
Santa will be in the parade, she said.
The chamber will distribute sweet treats to the youngsters in the crowd lining the streets, Zebrowski said.
“We are making 3,500 bags of candy to give out to kids,” she said. “The clowns will give them out.”
Zebrowski said the Christmas parade is a popular holiday tradition in the Twin City area.
“People like the small-town feel,” she said. “You see your neighbors or your neighbors’ kids or your family or friends in it.”
To register for the parade or for more information, call the chamber office at 636-931-7697 or visit twincitychamber.com.
Pevely-Herculaneum parade
The 14th annual Pevely-Herculaneum Christmas Parade will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, and will follow the event’s usual route, but the place where it starts has a new name.
Lineup begins at 5 p.m. and ends at 6:30 p.m. at the William C. Haggard City Park, formerly Herculaneum City Park, 776 Joachim Ave.
The city renamed the park after Haggard, a longtime Herculaneum fire chief and mayor, who died in May.
“(The parade) starts at Haggard City Park and goes on Joachim Avenue to Commercial Boulevard (Hwy. 61-67) to left on Lion’s Drive in Pevely. It turns onto Old State Road and proceeds to Pevely Main Street, ending at the intersection of Main Street and Joachim Avenue,” said Linda Miles, a parade organizer and Pevely’s deputy city clerk.
She said the theme of this year’s parade is “Hometown Christmas.”
“We’d expect around 70 units (motor vehicles, floats, marching bands, walking units, etc.),” Miles said. “Like normal.”
Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus will participate, she said.
Both Pevely and Herculaneum will choose a grand marshal for the parade. As of Nov. 18, Pevely’s grand marshal was still to be announced, Miles said.
Herculaneum Mayor Ryan Wright said Todd Schutte will be that city’s parade grand marshal.
“He’s part owner of Twin City Toyota,” Wright said. “He really supports the community. He donates to community causes. He’s one of our major park donations people. He’s a really good guy.”
Miles said the parade helps get the community into the Christmas spirit.
“I think it will be a great kickoff for the Christmas season,” she said. “I hope the weather continues to cooperate.”
There is no charge to take part in the parade.
To register or for more information, call Herculaneum City Hall at 636-475-4447 or Pevely City Hall at 636-475-4452 or visit the Herculaneum or Pevely Facebook pages.
De Soto parade
The 96th annual De Soto Christmas Parade will be held along Main Street at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. The theme is “Nutcracker Christmas.”
The De Soto Chamber of Commerce sponsors the parade, which will start in front of Mahn Funeral Home, 900 N. Main St., and proceed along Main Street to St. Louis Street and end at J.C. Culwell Stadium behind De Soto High School.
Sarah Greenlee, the chamber’s office coordinator, said the chamber expects to have about 100 units in the parade. Rose Yancey of Cherished Memories Florist & Hallmark Gold Crown will serve as parade grand marshal.
“She has been a staple in the community for years and we wanted to show our appreciation,” Greenlee said.
The Chamber will bring Santa Claus.
The deadline to register a unit in the parade is Thursday, Dec. 7. Entry is $15. To register, call the chamber at 636-586-5591 or email desotomo_chamber@yahoo.com or print out the form online at desotomochamber.com.
At 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, the annual Tree Lighting at De Soto City Hall, 17 Boyd St., will be held.
Greenlee said the De Soto High School Choir will sing and Santa will make an appearance. There will be free hot cocoa and cookies.
Immediately after the tree lighting, the Nativity Walk on Main begins.
“Some of the stores have extended shopping hours,” Greenlee said.
There will be carriage rides offered along Main Street.
“We are bringing them back,” she said. “We haven’t done them in a few years.”
As part of the event, Santa will visit the Arlington Event Center, 207 E. Main St., from 6:30 to 8 p.m. where a Craft Vendor Fair is being held from 6-9 p.m.
If you don’t have a chance to visit Santa on Dec. 6, he will be at the Mercantile @ Main, 602 S. Main St., from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10, and at Heartland Realty’s new location at 122 S. Main St. from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19.
House Springs parade
The House Springs Lions Christmas Parade will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, along Hwy. MM in House Springs.
Parade organizer Kim Fanter said this is the 19th year the Lions Club has held the parade, and this year’s theme will be based on the holiday movie, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
Potential parade participants have three opportunities to register at the Northwest Branch of the Jefferson County Library, 5680 Hwy. PP, in High Ridge: 5:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7; or 5:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10.
Registration is $15 per group and participants are encouraged to drop off canned food items the Lions will donate to local food pantries.
Fanter said it’s the club’s goal to register about 50 floats this year. She said about 3,000 people usually line Hwy. MM from Hwy. 30 to the Hillsboro-House Springs Road and Main Street intersection to watch the parade.
“It’s a big thing,” she said. “People really look forward to it. They start asking about it sometimes in August.”
People in the parade will begin to line up at 5 p.m. at the Faith Community Church parking lot, 4824 Scottsdale Road, Fanter said.
It’s important that floats enter the parking lot via Scottsdale Road off Hwy. 30 because the other entrance, via Conrad Smith Drive, will be used as the staging area for the parade.
At 7 p.m., the parade will turn left onto Dulin Creek Road before turning right onto Hwy. MM near the House Springs Pond. The parade will end at the former Lions Club building, now a wedding and events center, 6482 Hwy. MM.
Fanter said the parade will feature classic cars, decorated floats and Santa Claus, who will ride in the last float.
The Northwest High School marching band usually performs, she added.
For more information about the parade, email Fanter at kimrnpat@sbcglobal.net with “parade” in the subject line.
“This is one night a year that a small community of people can come together and enjoy a good thing,” Fanter said. “We’re hoping for another good year, the 19th good year of the Christmas parade.”
Hillsboro
The Hillsboro Christmas Parade will begin at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14.
The event, sponsored by the Greater Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce, will start at Hawk Drive and proceed to Stadium Drive to Business 21. It will continue for several blocks to Main Street and then will run by Hillsboro City Hall before turning onto Vreeland Road and ending behind Hillsboro Intermediate School.
Parade coordinator Mandy Alley said this year’s parade will not have a theme.
“We do not theme our Christmas parades. We feel like Christmas is theme enough. Participants can theme it whatever they like, and that gives them more opportunity to participate in other parades if they wish.”
Alley said the parade typically has about 50 entries.
She said the Christmas fun will continue after the parade at the Hillsboro R-3 School District’s Bridle Ridge Acres farm with the annual Community Christmas at the Farm event.
The farm event will have a Winter Wonderland in the hayloft, a fake-ice skating rink, decorated Christmas trees, photos with Santa, food trucks, hot cocoa and cookies, bonfires, games, farm animals and photo opportunities.
Alley said all chamber- and school-sponsored activities in the barn are free, but attendees may want to bring cash for the food trucks or for donations for school groups, such as sports teams and clubs.
She said the groups will decorate their own Christmas trees, and attendees may vote for their favorite tree by putting a dollar into a donation jar in front of each tree.
The deadline to register for the parade is Wednesday, Dec. 4.
To register or for more information, email hillsborochamberoffice@gmail.com, visit hillsborochamberofcommerce.com or visit the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.