The holiday season swings into full gear on Saturday, Nov. 18, with the annual Kimmswick Christmas Parade and Open House.
Businesses and restaurants will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. that day, and the town will be decked out with Christmas decorations and luminaries lit along Hwy. K. The event is held by the Kimmswick Merchants Association
“All of the merchants really look forward to kicking off the holiday season,” said Betteanne Smith, Kimmswick Merchants Association member and owner of Mississippi Mud Gallery and Gifts.
Parade participants are asked to assemble between 10:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. in the Windsor Elementary School parking lot, 6003 Fifth St., in Kimmswick.
The parade procession starts at 11 a.m. with participants marching on Market Street to the Blue Owl Restaurant and Bakery, 6116 Second St. The procession then turns onto Second Street before marching on to Mill Street and Front Street and ending near the Christmas Haus store, 311 Elm St., Smith said.
“We try to pass by the front of every business, so if you are standing in front of a business, you are on the parade route,” she said.
Smith said about 20 organizations typically participate in the parade, and this year, members of the St. Louis Special Needs Color Guard will be part of the procession.
“It is going to be an honor to have them participate in the parade,” she said.
Smith also said Carroll Wrather will be the parade’s grand marshal for a second time in its approximately 14-year history. Wrather, 87, holds an annual daylily sale at his Kimmswick home with the proceeds donated to the Visitor Center.
“He is a wonderful man,” Smith said. “He has donated more than $60,000 to the Visitor Center, and he is the longest continuous resident of Kimmswick. He has been here for 63 years. We are including a write-up about him in the Cookie Walk book, so it is the perfect time to honor him again.”
Santa Claus, who will be in the parade, will be available for free photo opportunities from 1-8 p.m. at the Santa House near the corner of Front and Market streets. Participants will need to take their own photos, Smith said.
Santa Claus will take a break to participate in the Christmas tree-lighting ceremony at 4:45 p.m. near the Visitor Center.
Free horse-drawn trolley rides provided by Nobleshire Carriages of Millstadt, Ill., will be available from 2-8 p.m. with pickups and drop-offs at The Christmas Haus, 311 Elm St., and Mississippi Mud Gallery and Gifts, 118 Market St.
“(The carriage rides) are a thank you to our customers, and it encourages people to come and enjoy the Christmas festivities,” Smith said.
The Rivertown Sound Quartet will perform throughout the day.