Whitesville hosts 35th annual Christmas parade
Dec. 11—Rainy weather didn't stop Whitesville from hosting its 35th annual Christmas parade Saturday.
Sandy Fitzgerald, chairman of the Whitesville Lion's Club and Whitesville Christmas parade, said he was excited that the Daviess County High School marching band attended the parade.
"We always love having the band and the music," he said.
Fitzgerald said every year, schools and local organizations turn out to support the parade.
"It's a community parade with a lot of different local organizations plus people from town like the jailer," he said. "They come out every year to help us celebrate Christmas."
Whitesville did not have a parade in 2020 due to COVID-19. The parade still went on last year despite the severe weather that led to tornadoes on Dec. 10, 2021.
"It ended up being on the day of the tornado [last year]," he said. "It was really ominous. Both the sheriff's department and the state patrol were here and they were cutting out quickly after the parade because they were being called on emergency runs."
The parade is held on the second Saturday of December every year and the event is a big lead up to the holiday season for many Whitesville residents, Fitzgerald said.
"We have the tree lightning and some years the lighting of the tree in downtown Whitesville occurs the same weekend as the parade," he said. "Christmas officially starts with the parade."
The parade typically has an average of 25 floats and entries, Fitzgerald said.
The Owensboro Figure Skating Club was one of the entires Saturday, the first year that the club has participated in the parade.
"We are getting ready to go to a competition in Huntsville, Alabama," said Katrina Erickson, one of the adults on the truck. "We're taking all of our girls so we're in the parade to get our name out there and to be a presence in the community."
The club had a hot chocolate and goodie stand set up near Main Street to raise money for the coaches and the kids to be able to go to the competition in February.
"This is some of the kids' first parade to be in so they're very excited to be able to wave and see other kids," she said.
The Owensboro Figure Skating Club is based out of the Edge skating rink and Fitzgerald said there are 18 kids planning to go to Huntsville to compete, ranging in ages seven to 18.
"My sisters are figure skaters and I'm one of the only hockey players so I'm happy to be a hockey player on the figure skating float," said 11-year-old Issac Phelps, who was also on the Owensboro Figure Skating Club truck.
