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Santa parades to ride down local streets

Photos: Hamilton Santa Parade 2008

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David A. Moodie, contributing photographer/Hamilton Santa Parade, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008

Traditions endure to create memories for new generation

By Eric Robinette, Staff Writer Updated 12:24 PM Friday, November 20, 2009

Santa Claus Lane winds through both Middletown and Hamilton this year, with each city planning its annual Santa parade.

Hamilton’s Holiday Kids Parade will launch Saturday, Nov. 21. Middletown’s Santa Parade marches Nov. 28.

The Hamilton parade will run from 10 a.m. to noon, starting at the Fitton Center on 101 S. Monument Ave., heading east down Ludlow Street. Then it will turn left on Third Street and continue on High Street, ending at Santa’s House at South Second Street in front of the old courthouse. Santa will be riding on a fire truck.

Although this parade has gone on for more than 40 years, this is the second year the parade will be scaled down for economic reasons and lack of sponsors. What was once a $25,000 parade became a $200 parade last year, said one of its organizers, Tony Traub. Past parades had local bands and Santa being pulled by stallions; those had to go.

“The focus now is on how kids can be in a parade,” Traub said. Any child who arrives at the Fitton Center for the 9 a.m. lineup will be allowed to march in the parade.

Last year the parade didn’t move down High Street as it has in years past, in order to save money so as not to reroute traffic. However, because so many people expected the parade to go that way, High Street was restored to the route this year, Traub said.Following Santa’s arrival at his home, there will be a party. Clowns will paint faces and provide balloon animals, and various choirs will be on hand to sing carols. There will be a costume contest for ages 10 and younger, with a prize of $100 for first place, $50 for second place and $25 for third place.

A second day

of Christmas ...

Middletown’s third annual Home for the Holidays Santa Parade will be held at 5 p.m. Nov. 28. It starts at the Middletown Public Library on 125. S. Broad St., and it will move north up Broad Street toward Governor’s Square Park.

It’s a short route, but that’s intentional, said Linda Moorman, one of the parade organizers.

“The parade is a compact show. That way everybody can see the view. And when you have people (bunched) together, the excitement builds more,” she said.

The parade is done in the style of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, with performing groups stopping along the route to perform a short routine. Those groups include the Academy of Dance Arts, the Middletown Performing Arts Academy, and two groups from Creative Dance Expressions.

“It’s a lot bigger. It’s pretty exciting, really. The community is really coming out to help us with this,” Moorman said.

Last year the parade was held in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of Light Up Middletown, the city’s holiday light display, but that was Black Friday, and a number of people said they couldn’t make it to the parade in time, Moorman said. That’s why the parade is being held on a Saturday this year.

Appearing in the parade are several floats, costumed animals known as the Santa Paws, the Cincinnati Bengals Mascot Who Dey and radio personality Bill Dennison of 700 WLW. The first 500 kids to arrive will receive an elf hat.

Santa, of course, will also be in the parade, and once the parade stops at Governor’s Square, Santa will greet children on the stage.

New to the event this year is the Holiday Market, which will set up several food and craft booths near Governor’s Square, Moorman said. That will run from 3 to 7 p.m.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2836 or erobinette@coxohio.com.

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