WILMINGTON - Mayor John Carney and the Wilmington Jaycees’ announced the 61st Annual Christmas Parade will be held on Saturday, November 29 in downtown Wilmington at 11 am in conjunction with Small Business Saturday.
"For 61 years, the Jaycee's Christmas parade has spread holiday cheer throughout the city," said Mayor John Carney. "This is a great opportunity to check off items on your holiday shopping list by supporting the diverse small businesses that make up our downtown neighborhood."
“This annual event is the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season, a great community-building event in the City of Wilmington, and no better way to meet the small businesses located downtown,” said Delaware Jaycees President & Parade Director Josh Hoveln.
The parade will feature floats, antique cars, local celebrities, community groups, marching and string bands, among other performers. The ‘star of the show’ will be Santa Claus. Children at the parade are encouraged to write a letter to Santa and drop it off as he passes by during the parade. (Children should provide their complete mailing address – including zip code - if they would like a reply.) The Wilmington Jaycees will work with Santa and his elves to answer each letter.
Past Wilmington Jaycees Christmas Parades have featured an outstanding selection of local and national celebrities: Luke Matheny, 2011 Oscar winner for Best Live Action Short Film; Aubrey Plaza, star of NBC Comedy “Parks and Recreation”; Vince Papale who inspired the 2006 movie “Invincible”; A.J. Melendez of "American Idol Juniors"; Sean Patrick Thomas Co-Star of CBS Drama Series "The District" and several movies, "The Last Dance" and "Cruel Intentions"; Heavyweight Boxing Champion Michael Spinks; Middleweight Boxing Champion Bernard Hopkins; Olympic Gold Medalist Dionna Harris; Television Stars "ER" Evette Freeman; "Welcome Back Kotter" star Ron Pallilo; Singers - Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.; plus many other stars from Sports, Movies, Television, Theater, Publishing, Etc.
About the Wilmington Jaycees
The Wilmington Jaycees, a JCI member organization, is a community, individual, and leadership development organization for individuals ages 21-40. The Jaycees are a proactive organization whose members devote themselves to community service in the public interest, to increasing and improving the skills of the individual, and to developing people as leaders of their community. The Wilmington Jaycees have been active for over 80 years. Please visit www.wilmingtonjaycees.org [wilmingtonjaycees.org] for more information.
Parade Contact: Josh Hoveln
302-893-5544
hoveln.joshua@gmail.com
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