A longstanding Daviess County tradition is returning for those ready to get into the Christmas spirit.
The annual Owensboro-Daviess County Christmas Parade is set for Nov. 18 and will feature nearly 100 entries.
Heather Blackburn is on the board of volunteers who oversee the festivities. She told WKU Public Radio that the parade is something area residents look forward to each holiday season.
“The parade has been a part of Owensboro and Daviess County since the 1930s, and other than the two-year period during COVID where we were discouraged from having large crowds together, we’ve always had a parade.”
Blackburn noted that the parade is put together by a group of volunteers who dedicate many hours to making sure that tradition continues.
“I think that a lot of people assume that the city puts it on, and while the city certainly provides a lot of help and support, we’re a nonprofit board that puts this on every year, and part of those parade entries pay for things like the event insurance, the security, and some of the set-up and things that we have to do every year,” she said. “It’s a big project.”
While the parade is one of the largest holiday events in the state, it also tends to be one of the earliest, as it’s traditionally held the Saturday before Thanksgiving. It’s been referred to as the event “where Kentucky starts Christmas.”
The theme for this year’s parade is “The Gift of Christmas" and features all the usual suspects, like festive lights, costumes, and hot chocolate.
“We’re really looking forward to seeing some of the big floats. There are so many creative designs people do every year, so in many ways, it’s going to be like the traditional parade people have come to love and expect every year,” Blackburn said.
The parade begins at 2nd and Pearl Streets, proceeds west on 2nd, and ends at 2nd and Locust. It gets underway Saturday, Nov. 18, at 4:30 p.m.
After the Owensboro-Daviess County Christmas parade, there will still be plenty of other opportunities to get a dose of some Christmas cheer as multiple holiday events are happening over the next several weeks.
On Friday, Dec. 1, Elizabethtown will host their “Light-Up-Etown Parade & Tree Lighting.” Other parades are set for the following Saturday, including the Bowling Green Jaycees Christmas Parade, the Glasgow Christmas Parade, and the annual holiday parade in Somerset.
A week later, on Dec. 9, Hopkinsville will host their Christmas parade in Christian County, with Elkton hosting their annual festivities just a few miles away in Todd County.