By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green’s Holiday Parade shook up snow globes on Saturday and watched the wonder of it all.
Spectators bundled up along the parade route to watch more than 90 entries, including 11 marching bands, fire trucks, floats, tractors, and twirlers. They marveled at the dogs decked out for the holidays and dancers braving the cold.
As always, the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce parade reflected the best of local community organizations, schools, churches and businesses.
More than 2,000 people marched, pedaled, danced and rode through the parade route for two hours in Bowling Green Saturday morning. And far more waved and caught candy from the curbs.
To get in the “Snow Globe” theme spirit, local store shelves were emptied of many elves ears, reindeer antlers, and Santa hats. Floats carried snow globes and the Lorax blew “snow” at spectators.
The marching bands brought people to their feet – especially for the 425-member Bowling Green State University Marching Band. Spectators clapped along with the holiday medleys, and long retired band members found themselves marching along with the cadence.
Well known to be the largest holiday parade in Northwest Ohio, it requires months of planning and hours of making sure it can be pulled off.
The parade also takes some planning for spectators stretching for many blocks along Main Street. The chilly weather calls for more precise preparations. And these are no fair weather fans.
Danielle Lewis and her great grandma, Paula Peterson, arrived downtown at 9 a.m., to claim a front row spot in the first block of South Main Street. They came fortified with a dozen doughnuts, a carafe of hot coffee and cozy lap blankets.
“We’re all ready to go,” Lewis said.
Sitting between them were Lewis’ children, Ben, 5, and Lily, 3, in a wagon. It was too late when Lewis realized she had forgotten bags for candy thrown their way.
“That’s the one thing we forgot – but they have pockets,” she said.
Besides there were other treats offered by the parade.
“I might see Santa,” Ben said quietly.
Sarah Dunlap, of Bowling Green, wasn’t taking any chances that she would get the perfect spectator spot at the Four Corners of Main and Wooster streets.
“I’ve never seen it in person before,” Dunlap said, explaining that she normally has to work during the parade.
She found a parking spot around 5 a.m., and staked out the corner with chairs at 7:30 a.m. She had no intention of missing her daughter in her role with the Eastwood color guard.
To keep herself busy till the step off time of 9:50 a.m., Dunlap knitted a baby blanket. When her fingers froze up, she would slide on her hand warmer.
“I’ve learned I can knit with one glove on,” she said.
This was also the first Holiday Parade for Kristen Kreienkamp to watch in person. For years she has been helping to organize the parade with the BG Chamber of Commerce, and then spending the actual parade time staffing the volunteer location in the Carter House.
“It’s over eight months of work for me – all behind the scenes,” Kreienkamp said as she stood on Main Street. “Now I get to see the faces of the people so happy to see the parade.”
Like countless others, Kreienkamp in previous years would catch up with the parade afterward when it was re-televised by WTOL-TV, with commentators Jerry Anderson, Ryan Wichman and Caylee Kirby.
Anderson, who lives in Bowling Green, said he felt no pre-parade jitters about keeping up with the 90-plus entries.
“I feel no pressure. I feel like I’m at home,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of parades, and this is one of the most organized of any I’ve done.”
Parked at a table at the Four Corners were the three judges of parade entries – Belinda Bates, Tammy Corral and Laurie Ladik.
“It’s tough,” Ladik acknowledged of the judging process.
Corral said they were awarding points for entries that were creative, followed the theme, and got reactions from the crowd.
As of midway through the parade, no entries had resorted to sweetening their scores.
“No bribes have happened,” Corral said with a smile. “But hot chocolate may have helped today.”
Standing near the judging tables were parade regulars, Brad and Arlene McCarty, whose daughter was previously in the Arcadia Marching Band, and whose son now plays bass drum in the Arcadia band.
“It’s a great parade,” Brad McCarty said. “Of course, it’s always a wind zone.”
Unlike other holiday parades in the region, the Bowling Green parade lasts more than a few minutes. “It’s actually the best parade around,” he said.
This was the first time for Sylvania couple Mike and Tori Jablonski to bring their three children to the event. Eloise, 3, was thrilled to see the cheerleaders and floats. And 16-month-old twins, Emerson and Brooks were a little too young to appreciate it all.
“They liked the first cop car,” their mom said.
“It’s way bigger than Sylvania’s,” Tori Jablonski said.
Some of the parade watchers sought warmer climates for viewing, with lucky ones finding seats along the front windows of local coffee shops.
Taylor Delp, Kenneth Roehrs and his mom, Cindy Roehrs, from Perrysburg, sought shelter in Juniper Brewing Co. on South Main Street.
“It’s got warmth, coffee and a cute ambience,” Delp said.
Roehrs enjoyed watching the dogs in the parade, his mom was partial to the marching bands, and Delp picked up on the theme.
“I love the snow globes,” she said.
Standing outside the coffee shop were Jennifer and Wesley Brown, braving the brisk breeze to catch a glimpse of their daughter, Abigail Ball, in the Bowling Green High School Marching Band.
At least Abigail was prepared. “She’s got her Christmas pajama pants underneath her uniform,” Wesley Brown said.
After Wood County Hospital President Stan Korducki completed the parade route with the hospital float, he came back downtown to take in the rest of the entries.
The hospital’s snow globe featured the “Grinch Who Stole Christmas” inside a big bubble.
“They are so creative. I never know what I’m going to get,” Korducki said.
The parade is a treasured tradition for much of Bowling Green, including the hospital.
“It’s all part of our connection with the community,” he said.
