Costumed characters on colorful floats would entertain the parade spectators.
Sea Isle City will not hold its traditional holiday parade this year following complaints that it took too long to arrive downtown while spectators unhappily waited outside in the cold, Mayor Leonard Desiderio said Tuesday.
In years past, the parade rolled through different parts of Sea Isle before culminating on Landis Avenue in the downtown area. It served as Santa Claus’s grand arrival for the caroling and tree lighting ceremonies that followed in Excursion Park.
The holiday celebration this year on Friday night, Nov. 28, the day after Thanksgiving, will still include Santa, caroling, holiday characters to entertain the crowds and then the official tree lighting ceremony hosted by the mayor in Excursion Park.
“Santa and I will host the event, and there will be caroling, holiday characters, the tree lighting itself, and then a meet-and-greet with Santa and the characters, during which families can pose for photos – and all kids will receive treats,” Desiderio said.
But there will not be a holiday parade on Thanksgiving weekend.
“We will not have the parade prior to the tree lighting ceremony, as we’ve had many complaints over the past several years that the parade took too long to arrive downtown and at Excursion Park, and folks were unhappy waiting outside in the cold until the parade arrived to start the tree lighting ceremony,” Desiderio said in a report to City Council during a meeting Tuesday.
Instead, there will be an enhanced “First Responders Holiday Parade” on Friday, Dec. 12, starting at 6 p.m. that will feature a fleet of decorated vehicles from fire departments and EMS companies from across the region.
The First Responders Parade will begin at the Sea Isle City Dog Park at the north end of town, travel down Landis to 83rd Street, then return north on Central and end at the Fire House on John F. Kennedy Boulevard, the mayor said.
Holiday festivities in Sea Isle will also include the Chamber of Commerce’s Winter Village event on Friday, Nov. 28, and Saturday, Nov. 29, in Excursion Park. Desiderio said the event will be larger than ever and includes a food court, merchandise sales and activities for children.
“We discussed all these holiday activity plans with the Chamber of Commerce leadership earlier this month, and all agreed with the plan of action,” he said.
Santa makes his grand entrance on stage at the Band Shell in Excursion Park to join Mayor Leonard Desiderio during the 2023 holiday celebration.
