New holiday parade experiences await in Windsor-Essex

The parade experience is receiving a jolt this year. Starting this weekend in Amherstburg, Ont. parade goers will notice more to see and do.

To start, parade executive director Maggie Durocher said the Windsor Parade Corporation wanted to animate what goes on around their floats.

“We have brand new inflatable characters that'll be part of these floats, costumed characters, elves that accompany each one of them,” she explained.

The parade corporation also wanted to create a more fulsome parade experience. There will be more to do with the creation of a fan zone in Amherstburg this weekend, in Windsor on Dec. 3 and Essex on Dec. 10.

“Fan zones are a place for the fans to come, spend some time and enjoy the municipality that is good enough to host these parades,” said Durocher.

Durocher said the fan zones will be open two hours before each parade with a lot to do.

Each fan zone will be tented with chairs, tables and heat.

“We have Sun Parlour pipes and drums playing. We have an entire hula hoop zone with hula hoop artists doing some really fun stuff. We have Kobbler Jay, we have the fire guy for the Essex parade,” she said.

Also on hand, hot chocolate, cookies and a craft area for kids. People can also be part of the Santa scavenger hunt, and those interested can download the scavenger hunt app in advance.

“We're working really hard to reach out to these communities and make them part of the parades,” said Durocher.

An empty lot next to Blimey’s in Essex will be one of the fan zone locations. Manager Mark Hulme appreciates excited people will descend to Talbot Street for more than just the parade.

“It brings people downtown, people that possibly would never be shopping down here, so it's just so exciting to see different people that would never be out here,” he said.

Last Friday, Christmas in Tecumseh featured a parade but also included activities offered by various community partners.

“I think it is great,” said Brett Palmer, senior manager of recreation service for the Town of Tecumseh. “We heard it over the last two years through the pandemic we want these parades back. We want more events back. This year we were able to offer more events and people came.”

In all, over 50 entries are expected to participate in the Windsor parade on Dec. 3, and former CTV News anchor Jim Crichton is the official commentator for each parade.