Thousands brave the cold for Winston-Salem’s holiday parade

• Connor McNeely
• Dec 8, 2024

Though temperatures had dropped to the low 40s, thousands of people showed up for Winston-Salem’s annual holiday parade through downtown Saturday evening.

A group of 90 entries participated in the annual parade this year, which began at 5 p.m. at Fourth Street at Poplar Street, and led to the city’s Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at 6:30 p.m. in Corpening Plaza off West First Street.

Dozens lined up on Fourth Street with more than half an hour until 5 p.m. to get their spot along the parade route. As the sun set, parade-watchers huddled into their chairs with blankets and cups of hot cocoa.

The temperature remained cold through the evening, with a wind occasionally sweeping through the downtown area to chill the crowd.

Fan favorite floats such as the ReMax balloon, the Burlington Flotilla, and the Pizza Planet Truck from Toy Story returned to the parade, much to the delight of onlookers.

Although university marching bands were busy with final exams, more than 15 high school and private bands showed up and showed out during the event.

Bill and Pat Campbell, whose son Brent Campbell served as deputy marshal of the parade, said they came out for their first parade in a long time to support their grandsons, who play tuba and percussion in their high school band.

“We’re both retired educators,” Bill Campbell said. “We love seeing young people be so talented.”

Syrita Robinson, and her daughter, Rosa, watched the parade and waited for her other daughter Summer, who was part of a 50-member step team.

Robinson said Summer was a little bit of an introvert until she tried the step team, where she made a lot of friends and found herself looking forward to the parade.

Rosa, who plays piccolo at Parkland High School, found her favorite part of the parade to be the Parkland High School marching band performance.

Jennifer Ginsburg and her daughter, Ava, carted along a supply of bubble blowing guns and swirling lights to sell for the Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance.

“It’s the time of the year where everyone can come together and celebrate something positive,” Jennifer Ginsburg said when asked what made the holiday parade unique.

“I remember when we couldn’t celebrate during COVID-19,” said Karen Coston, another member of the Theatre Alliance. “It’s so freeing now.”

Lee Beeck, a Yadkinville resident who came to the parade with his best friend, Melinda Hall, set up shop outside of Washington Perk on Fourth Street and livestreamed the parade for those who couldn’t make it out to the festivities.

“I like to see people happy,” Beeck said. Beeck added that he had already made it to holiday parades in Yadkinville and Pilot Mountain, both of which he had livestreamed on Facebook.

Although it was Beeck’s first time at Winston-Salem’s holiday parade, the biggest personal draw to the event for him was a specific character he knew would show up.

“I came to see the Grinch, he’s my favorite,” Beeck said. “Somebody’s got to like the bad guy.”

Holiday parade

This was the second year that the Winston-Salem Ambassadors, a nonprofit organization that promotes the city, have run the parade celebration.

Previously, for 32 years, the Winston-Salem Jaycees sponsored the parade, until the group dissolved in 2023 because of its declining membership.

Mackenzie Cates Allen, the organization’s founder and parade organizer, said that she was also involved with the Jaycees in the past prior to taking over leadership of the event.

“It’s just such a beloved community event,” Cates Allen said.

Before the Winston-Salem Ambassadors took over organization of the parade, Cates Allen said she heard that residents of the city wanted to see more representation of different holidays during the event.

Now the annual parade celebrates five major holidays: Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule, Winter Solstice, and Kwanzaa.

“Christmas is welcome and celebrated, but it is a holiday parade,” Cates Allen said.

For the first year in the parade’s history, Santa Titus, who also goes by the name “Hop the Black Santa”, marched in the event as the first ever Black Santa Claus.

Although there were some negative social media comments about Santa Titus, by and large the response to the first Black Santa Claus was overwhelmingly positive, Cates Allen said.

Photo by Walt Unks, WS Journal

Photo by Walt Unks, WS Journal

Photo by Walt Unks, WS Journal