Under dreary November skies thousands of people jammed the city for the 81st annual Milwaukee Holiday Parade as it weaved its way through downtown on Saturday morning.
According to the local forecast, the weather was supposed to hold steady at 40 degrees throughout the morning, but as we later found out, the blustery wind and constant sleet made it feel more like a frigid thirty. Needless to say, I was really glad I brought along my hat and mittens just in case!
With winter-like temperatures, parade-watchers huddled together under warm blankets and tried to keep toasty by sipping hot chocolate or coffee from local vendors. At the same time, others managed to ignore the cold and had a good time singing and dancing in the streets. I was among those in a huddle, but when I’d occasionally bounce to the beat of the marching bands, I actually felt a little warmer.
All in all, the weather wasn’t much of a deterrence or disappointment if you keep in mind that it was a holiday parade and the seasonable weather helped to welcome the festivities. Plus, we all know that by the time Christmas rolls around, the weather will become significantly colder – this is only the beginning! Regardless, the Holiday Parade went on to delight an estimated 50 to 100 thousand people, according to the Journal Sentinel, with over 2-dozen marching bands, a brigade of floats, Macy’s Parade-style helium balloons and, of course, Santa Claus himself.
Justin and Emily met Eric and I at my apartment and by 9 a.m. we headed for the 
parade. It was a little too far to walk, especially because we only had about a half hour to get there and get situated, so we decided to drive. We found parking pretty easily, and then proceeded to find a place to watch the parade. We grabbed a spot at the beginning and joined the gathering of people who were already sitting curbside in folding chairs and on top of blankets. Surprisingly, it wasn’t very crowded, so we had a great view and standing for an hour wasn’t too bad either.
With horns blaring, cymbals clashing and drums banging, marching bands from area schools supplied a festive sound track, playing rousing renditions of some of my favorite carols like “Joy to the World,” “Let it Snow” and “Winter Wonderland.” Some bands had so many members they stretched nearly an entire city block! And as you can see in one of the photos below, one band dressed in random costumes to add some extra pizazz.
My favorite parts of the parade included the Dancing Grannies, a 40-foot-tall gingerbread man balloon that swayed in the face of the brisk wind, the mini Central Pacific Railroad train that chugged along with eight cars holding little kids, the schnauzers, golden retrievers, and dachshunds that wore Santa hats and obediently marched, and the hodgepodge of random characters like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Wizard of Oz clan and the Three Wise Men riding real camels!
Additionally, there were specialty vehicles carting around local officials like Alderman Bauman and Mayor Tom Barrett, and TV and radio personalities like Mike Jacobs and Carole Meekins, Toya Washington, Cramp and Adler, and Wes, Rahny and Alley, to name a few.
The theme this year was “Share your gift this holiday season. Volunteer.” So, parade-goers were encouraged to bring nonperishable food items, which were collected along the parade route by about 300 Johnson Controls volunteers, including employees, their families and friends, according to JSOnline.
Eric and I rummaged through our pantry before the parade and put together a bag filled with about 10 cans of soup, veggies and legumes. Everyone’s donations went to benefit the Hunger Task Force’s Food for Families, and every little bit helped I’m sure!
The parade moved slower than I thought it would, or perhaps it just seemed like it because the longer we stood outside, the colder we got and the tougher it was to bear. Still, we kept in good spirit and were thoroughly entertained when something came past.
Then in the midst of celebration, the crowd erupted in spontaneous cheering to welcome Santa’s arrival as he wished everyone a “Merry Christmas” over a microphone. At that time many children climbed onto the shoulders of their parents to get a better look. I really liked seeing the kid’s faces light up as they got their first glimpse of Santa. It kind of brought the magic of the season front and center and made me recall those moments when I was a kid.
The parade was over in about 90 minutes and most of the spectators immediately folded their blankets and chairs and headed for someplace warm. The few blocks back to the car were long because our feet were frozen and our noses were pink and running.
Despite the weather, it seemed like everyone had a good time. It definitely got me into the Christmas spirit as spectators along Kilbourn Avenue clapped and cheered and the unmistakable sights and sounds of the Yuletide filled the air.
My weekend’s holiday festivities didn’t end at the parade though. About an hour later (which gave me just enough time to thaw out) I met my mom at Broadway Paper in the Third Ward for a greeting card making class. I’ll post more on that tomorrow.
You guys look so cold in that picture. So cold that you're making me cold!
Happy Holidays!
Posted by: Amanda | November 21, 2007 at 09:03 AM
I don't know if they are "Macy's Parade-style" balloons, but I'm surprised Milwaukee budgeted for something like that. I guess it's kind of cool. I thought the parade would be a mess of marching clowns and sausages or something.
Posted by: Mark | November 21, 2007 at 05:57 PM