Children watched as Santa passed by on his sleigh during the Mt. Orab Christmas Parade held Nov. 26. Photo by Wade Linville
Frosty the Snowman waves to the crowd during this year’s Mt. Orab Christmas Parade held Nov. 26. Photo by Wade Linville
Buzz Lightyear entertains the crowd during this year’s Mt. Orab Christmas Parade held Nov. 26. Photo by Wade Linville
People lined the streets for the 15th annual Mt. Orab Christmas Parade. Photo by Wade Linville
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves ride in this year’s Mt. Orab Christmas Parade. Photo by Wade Linville
The Grinch rides in this year’s Mt. Orab Christmas Parade. Photo by Wade Linville
Throwing candy to the children during this year’s Mt. Orab Christmas Parade. Photo by Wade Linville
Mickey and Minnie Mouse wave to the crowd during this year’s Mt. Orab Christmas Parade. Photo by Wade Linville
People lined the streets of Mt. Orab on the evening of Saturday, Nov. 26 for the village’s 15th annual Christmas Parade.
The holiday season in Mt. Orab officially begins with its extravagant Christmas Parade, a parade many people of Brown County look forward to each year.
The late Mt. Orab Mayor Bruce Lunsford, who died in February of this year, had decided to celebrate Christmas together as a village with a parade. The idea was put into action 15 years ago with a Christmas committee consisting of 10 members. For the first five years, the parade was held during the daytime. The committee later convinced Mayor Lunsford to switch it to an evening parade, allowing some of the décor, like lights, to be more effective. The parade lasts around an hour.
Every year, the committee meticulously plans, then builds 10 floats sponsored by local businesses.
“We have some great sponsors, here in the village in the surrounding areas. And without them, you know, we couldn’t do this without them.” Missy Schneider, a member of the Christmas Committee and Treasurer, appreciated.
Some of the sponsors include Mount Orab Ford, Bobcats, Superior Credit, Butter Bee’s, all the local banks, and many more. Floats are worked on for the entirety of the year, with much of the work being done in September. Decorations and special effects are maximized to their fullest potential, including fireworks and music. Around 40 costumes are needed to be filled for roles in the floats. The Christmas Parade is a passion project in the Village of Mt. Orab achieved by dedicated time, effort, and energy well-spent to celebrate the upcoming cheery occasion.
“Our street department is a huge, huge help to us because our guys go above and beyond what we need.” Schneider remarked.
Mt. Orab Police Chief Jason Hahn had extra police officers brought in to help monitor the crowd of people. The parade must be set up the morning before it begins, so all necessary roads are blocked off. The police department, fire department, village employees, and Christmas Committee all pitch in wholeheartedly to continue the Christmas Parade every year.
