WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — An annual holiday event returns to downtown Wausau on Friday.
The Holiday Parade organized by Wausau Events will be on Friday, December 6th this year. The parade helps to kick off the holiday season in downtown Wausau. Wausau Events Executive Director Madison Nowak says the parade starts at 6:30 p.m. and will last until about 7 p.m.
“It’s from Marathon Park to the 400 Block via Steward, 1st, and Jefferson. We have about 97 floats that are participating this year, which is our largest amount so far. And then following the parade we have a warming party in the Great Hall of the Grand Theater.”
Following the parade will be the lighting of the Christmas tree on the 400 Block. After that is the warming party which Nowak says will feature a few different things. “We have live music from Levi Ballenger. And he will just be playing some music for about an hour.
“For that hour we also have hot chocolate, cookies. And then Santa and Mrs. Claus will be there as well to talk with kids about what they want for Christmas or to write letters to the North Pole.”
Nowak says not much is changing with the parade this year but that it is the largest Holiday Parade Wausau Events has had yet. “We do have a lot of new participants and floats. So there will be some new groups that are participating.
“The way the parade is laid out is pretty much the same. There will be candy handed out along the route. We will have our annual coloring books that are handed out as well.”
The 2019 holiday parade theme is “A Whoville Holiday” with floats that will pay homage to Dr. Seuss and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. The parade begins at 6:30 p.m. in Marathon Park and will end at the 400 Block at 7 for the lighting of the downtown Christmas tree.
