After early morning rainfall, the skies cleared up just in time on Saturday morning for approximately 2,500 attendees to line North Market Boulevard in downtown Chehalis for the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce’s “Aloha Christmas” Santa Parade, according to Chamber Executive Director Cynthia Mudge.
“It was a great turnout this year,” Mudge added.
Former Chehalis City Councilor and longtime volunteer Terry Harris was chosen as the grand marshal of the parade, which featured 42 participants, including a variety of floats, vehicles and groups marching.
The award for best float went to the St. Joseph Catholic School, with the Centralia College Diesel Club and Morton Loggers Jubilee coming in second and third respectively.
Other awards given out included:
• Best commercial display, which went to the Visiting Nurses Foundation
• Best motorized display, which went to Love INC of Lewis County
• Best youth display, which went to the Winlock Dance Studio
• Best musical display, which went to the W.F. West Marching Band
• Best animal display, which went to the Market Street Pub & Grill
• Best overall, which went to Alta Forest Products.
Aside from Harris, the parade was led by representatives of the Great Northwest Federal Credit Union, members of the Chehalis Police Department and Lewis County Sheriff's Office, and a local American Legion Post as the parade’s color guard.
Along with the winners and lead group, other Santa Parade participants included:
• City of Chehalis staff
• Chehalis Cub Scout Pack 9031
• The Chehalis Junior Cats
• The Southwest Washington Dance Center Nutcracker ensemble
• Miss Lewis County 2023 Myah O'Neill
• Twin Transit
• State Security Bank
• Tractor Supply
• The Morton Loggers Jubilee float
• Heritage Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy
• Girl Scouts of Western Washington
• Southwest Washington Fair Little Miss Friendly 2023 Clara Hansen
• The Onalaska High School band and cheer team
• The Port of Chehalis
• The Centralia Tigers
• Bekins Northwest
• Maximilian Motorsports
• Northfork Asphalt Paving
• The Winlock Egg Day float
• The Onalaska Alliance Apple Harvest Court
• The American Red Cross
• The Chehalis Centralia Railroad & Museum
• Good Buzz Brewing Co.
• Interstate Honda
• Fred Meyer
• Lewis County Public Utilities District
• Top Weather Roofing
• The Chehalis Fire Department with Santa
