By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
How many entries were in this year’s Santa Parade? Well, Carolyn Ann Smith said she stopped counting around 270 and she still had people calling right before Friday night’s parade to be a part of it.
In other words: another “super” year for Smith, the woman who has made the Bucyrus Santa Parade into the nearly hour-long event that is currently is.
“It’s been awesome, the response,” Smith said. “But we need our volunteers, our sponsors or we just couldn’t have our parade.”
The Bucyrus Kiwanis and Rotary clubs co-sponsor the parade and Firelands Federal Credit Union usually rent the costumes each year. This year, however, they bought the costumes for the Bucyrus Santa Parade, Smith said, and Frosty the Snowman, Percy the Penguin, The Grinch, Tigger, and Eeyore could be found strolling along Sandusky Avenue.
Under Smith’s tutelage, the entry numbers for the Santa Parade have kept ballooning each year.
“The year before I started helping, they only had 39 entries. They were going to quit having the parade,” Smith explained as she sat waiting for the start of the parade in her van that had been lit up with colorful Christmas lights. “It’s just been a tradition for years. So, I asked what can I do to help?”
Parade organizers told Smith to start making some calls.
“I just keep making calls and keep getting people,” Smith laughed. She usually starts getting calls in August though a few participants solidified their place in this year’s parade last December.
“To me, this is our community parade. Because everybody out here is from here, from Bucyrus,” Smith said. “It just grows; it just keeps growing. They all believe in Bucyrus, that’s for sure . . . it seems like there’s more interest each year so that must mean we’re doing something right.”
The parade also brought in participants from Crestline, Galion, and royalty from the Marion Popcorn Festival.
Sisters Sophie, Hannah, and Paige Allen waited all night to see only one thing and when the white carriage drawn by two draft horses came into view, the three sisters squealed in delight. They all waved eagerly as Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus rolled by.
“It was awesome,” said nine-year-old Hannah.
The girls also enjoyed the candy handed out and the miniature horses decked in Christmas finery.
PHOTO GALLERY: 2015 Bucyrus Santa Parade