Area residents have the chance to enjoy back to back weeks of parades in Galesburg.
On Sunday afternoon, the annual Holiday Parade will march through the downtown area on the same route as last week’s Veterans Day Parade. The route runs from the corner of Seminary and Main Streets to Cherry Street, where the parade ends at the Knox County Courthouse.
An area legislator has been chosen as this year’s grand marshal.
“Don Moffitt is going to be the parade marshal this year,” Galesburg Business Association President Amye Peterson says. “With his retirement, we thought that would be a good way to honor him and he’s excited about it.”
Peterson is in charge of organizing the parade. She says over 43 participants have already signed up to march with more expected. The parade itself starts at 2 p.m.
However, at 1:15 p.m., a special guest is once again scheduled to have a bit of a mishap on the roof of First Mid Illinois Bank. The Galesburg Fire Department will rescue Santa Clause.
This is the first year in recent history that two parades have been so close together. The Holiday Parade in the past has been held after the Thanksgiving holiday. Peterson says GBA could consider moving the parade back to December next year.
“Especially with us wanting to partner with the Holiday Express on December 11,” Peterson says. “I wish we would have kind of known about that before the fact, but you never know what is going to happen next year.”
It should start to feel a bit like Christmas time by Sunday. The forecast is calling for a high of 43 degrees.
