Editorial: When it comes to a Christmas parade, less might be more
By Brandi Makuski
The 35th annual holiday parade held in downtown Stevens Point on Dec. 1 may have been the longest in memory for most, but some in the crowd felt it was too long — and that it was also lacking in other ways.
The parade was pushed back two weeks this year so as to not interfere with the deer hunting season. The delay appeared to have worked in one sense, as thousands lined the streets of downtown Stevens Point on Saturday for a 6 p.m. start.
Based on the myriad of positive comments on social media, it’s clear that those participating in the parade had a great time. But some of those watching it may have had a different experience.
For the hundreds of observers closest to the beginning of the parade route, between the corner of Strongs Ave. and the post office, no audible music or mayoral remarks were kicking off the parade. A sad oversight in a time of wifi.
This year’s holiday parade, themed, “A Storybook Christmas,” lasted almost two hours. The crowd was thinning by about half after the first 45 minutes.
“It’s just too long this year,” said one father as he hoisted a fussy toddler into his arms. The man added that his family planned a visit with Santa Claus elsewhere.
Others complained that the foot patrol handing out candy and company swag was so thick, that they barely caught a glimpse of the corresponding floats or parade entries.
“It’s more like trick-or-treating than a Christmas parade, only with more pushing,” said one mother with two young girls.
Others said that the parade was one long advertisement and many entries had, outside of a lighted vehicle, little to do with the holiday season or that they lacked any adherence to the theme.
Stevens Point police and firefighters were on hand for security and attempted throughout the night to keep eager youngsters off the street. But the rope barricade used a few years back was far more effective, even though nothing outside of parental oversight can prevent children from pushing each other around in the name of a blow-pop or frozen Tootsie Roll.
Some downtown business owners would comment that following the parade, there was more discarded candy left on the street than in past years.
Some families who left the main parade route walked east to see the final parade entries still in the staging queue more quickly. Parade vehicles were lined up back to Main St./Center Point Dr. and spilled over onto Rogers St.
Some parents expressed displeasure with the number of Grinches (this reporter stopped counting at a dozen) and the number of Santa Clauses (at least four, by this reporter’s count, far above the previous limit of one per parade).
Although the SPASH Band generated a terrific buzz near the start of the parade, much of what followed was light on music/performances and many floats and parade entries were difficult to see because so many candy handlers blocked the view.
There were some great parade entries throughout, with wonderfully-executed floats. But too many were assigned to the tail end of the line, including a great 4-H entry, some miniature ponies and giant dogs, a giant shopping cart from Festival Foods, Pok A Snoz Snowmobile Club, a local Boy Scout troop with a Color Guard (the latter of which should open a parade), and a delightful historic fire truck and kids’ miniature train from Bullhead’s in Dewey.
Through a recent dust-up on the Board of the Stevens Point Alliance, the association of downtown businesses that operates downtown parades, new leaders were running the show this year, who may not have been familiar with organizing one of the city’s largest public events.
It can’t be easy to plan and organize a large-scale parade. But hopefully, in years to come, we’ll see more organization, less candy and fewer walkers, a greater push for visuals and music, and a more reasonable length.
