This year’s Lewes Christmas Parade, annually co-sponsored by the City of Lewes and the Lewes Chamber of Commerce & Visitor’s Bureau, continued the trend to larger parades. There were 130 registered entries competing for prizes, including creative floats from community and youth organizations; the Cape Henlopen High School Band; numerous marching groups; Frosty the Snowman in the form of a giant helium balloon carried by the Lewes Chamber of Commerce board of directors; Punkin Chunkin vehicles; clowns; decorated classic cars and tractors from the Sussex County Antique Tractor Club; decorated vehicles including some from the Beachcombers Corvette Club of Southern Delaware; and the British Car Club of Delaware; and fire trucks from Sussex and Kent counties. There were even goats and a pony in the parade this year! The parade concluded with the lighting of the newly-planted Christmas tree in Zwaanendael Park donated by the DiSabatino family followed by candlelight caroling enjoyed by individuals and families.
In addition to all the community members who entered the parade, we would like to thank those volunteers who helped us line up the parade - Jim Barr, Harry Sheing, Rob Gibbs, Jim and Joan Horn, Jack Lesher and Bill Henry as well as Chris King for post-parade help taking down the line up stakes. We’d also like to acknowledge our longtime parade announcer Dennis Forney for his help with setting up the parade as well as providing an informative and entertaining narrative during the parade. This year’s talented parade judges, all chamber members from the banking field, were Lena Eaton, A. J. Jelinek and Sandy Chandler with assistance from Jay Reamer.
Other volunteers to be recognized for their help with other aspects of the event: Christy Taylor for leading the caroling with her volunteer chorus; Bill Larsen’s sound system; Best Equipment for supplying the judges reviewing stand with Eddie’s assistance; Jerry Desmond of Clean Delaware for the portable potty at the parade line up area; George and Nancy Russ for getting Santa’s House ready for the holiday and for decorating the judge’s reviewing stand’s lighting. Special thanks to Gilbert Holt Jr. for his participation in the parade and Santa House throughout the holiday season.
We also want to thank the Lewes Fire Company and the Delaware Fire Police for their assistance with traffic control during the hours leading up to the parade and during the parade; the Lewes Police Department for its assistance at the parade and with Hospitality Night; the city’s streets department for its assistance with all the holiday activities; Louie Papp from the city’s parks and recreation commission for making sure Zwaanendael Park was pristine for the holiday and every day; the Lewes Board of Public Works for hanging the holiday lights throughout the city to set the mood for the parade; Mayumi Williamson of Flowers by Mayumi for donating the grand marshal's corsage and boutonniere; Dick Bryan for supplying and driving the grand marshal's vehicle; and Ron Ladue for his assistance on parade day. Special thanks to the committee of residents who raised the funds to purchase the new snowflake decorations.
Finally, our deep appreciation is extended to the good-natured residents of Highland Acres who annually let us pound stakes and park huge vehicles in their front lawns for a couple of hours on the occasion of our annual Old Fashioned Christmas Parade.
Betsy Reamer
executive director
Tom King
Lewes Parade chairman
Lewes Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center
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