Hundreds of residents bundled up for the annual Plattsville Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 7, 2024.
The parade kicked off at the corner of Hume and Mill Street West before making its way onto Albert Street and traveling east to make the left turn onto Walter Street. Looping back onto Mill Street, the parade ended at the Plattsville Park pavilion and arena.
Children and their adults arrived early with chairs and wagons to secure their spots along the 1.5-kilometre route. While many were bundled up in blankets, coats and snowsuits trying to stay warm, plenty of youngsters took the opportunity to play in the snow with their friends while they waited for jolly old St. Nick.
As the parade got underway, Blandford-Blenheim firefighters were at the front of the pack collecting donations for the Helping Hands Food Bank.
Not too far behind was Mark Peterson, Mayor for the Township of Blandford-Blenheim, who waved to residents along the route as the Innerkip and District Lions Club followed him.
This year, a variety of nearly 30 local businesses and organizations came out to show off their floats including paramedics, police, hockey teams, and elementary schools.
“We have a lot of great local groups participating this year and we also have our first ever band joining us this year,” said Terry McDougall, President of the Plattsville and District Lions Club and Zone Chair for 37 South Lions Club. “We’re super excited to have the New Hamburg Concert Band with us tonight, we’ve never actually had a band before so they’re out here with their trumpets and trombones and it’s just amazing to have them with us.”
The crowd cheered and clapped as the floats passed by, all of them decked out front-to-back with all the bells and whistles. Even 11 horses joined in all the reindeer fun with their festive gear shining bright.
Before long, residents were all smiles as the man of the hour arrived on scene being towed behind an ATV. Youngsters were sure to wave and shout as Santa Claus passed by in style, his trusty elf sticking close by to collect last minute letters to the North Pole.
As the parade neared its destination, many residents made their way to the Plattsville Park pavilion for a chance to grab a cup of hot cocoa, play in the snow and visit with Kris Kringle himself.
McDougall said he was happy to see the community come together for another year of spreading holiday cheer.
“The Lions have been here in town now for 23 years and we’ve been running this parade ever since then,” he said. “We really have a good small community here in Plattsville, there’s a lot of young families here and it’s just always great to see everyone come together for events like this year after year.”
McDougall said that overall, the best part about hosting the annual parade is getting to meet the community members and witnessing how happy the event makes them.
“Seeing the kids with smiles on their faces along the route and then seeing them getting in line to see Santa and to grab a goodie bag, the joy that that experience brings… that’s why we do this,” he said. “Just look at this turnout, it may be windy and cold outside, but we have a line up of kids with happy faces lining the building and I think that says it all.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
