The Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce is ready to present the 75th annual Santa Parade in downtown Chehalis.
Chamber of Commerce Director Cynthia Mudge announced on Monday that the beloved Chehalis tradition will be held on Saturday, Dec. 6.
The theme for the 75th annual local Santa Parade is “A Country Christmas” and will guide those designing floats and organizing bands or local groups hoping to show up and dress the part.
Applications for those looking to participate in the parade are open and available online at chamberway.com or by calling 360-748-8885. Registration includes a $50 entry fee, or $30 for nonprofits.
According to the announcement from the chamber, entries will each be judged and scored based on how they reflect the year's theme. Prizes will be awarded in several categories. While not yet listed, they will likely match previous years and range from best musical, best float, best for children and the most prestigious best overall award.
The chamber of commerce is also looking for local businesses to provide coupons and other goodies for 200 holiday bags. Half of the bags will be handed out during the Santa Parade with the rest being handed out during the Lighted Tractor Parade in Centralia, scheduled for the following weekend.
“A holiday tradition for generations, the Santa Parade is something our community looks forward to each year,” Mudge said. “We’d love to see 75 entries for this milestone year. But whether it’s 75 or 35, the parade is always a joyful event that officially kicks off the holiday season.”
Tractor Supply Co. took the best overall title last year after being judged to have best delivered on last year's theme: Rock’n Roll Christmas.
