Whiting Lights Up The Night with Their Annual Illuminated Christmas Parade

Photos from the Whiting Illuminated Christmas Parade can be seen here!

It’s the holiday season and all over Northwest Indiana, people are getting into the spirit with parties, festivals, and other cool events. The City of Whiting is no exception. They hosted their annual Illuminated Christmas Parade, much to the de”light” of all who came out to take part in the festive spectacle.

“This kicks off the holiday season and brings people to our downtown area. They see all that we have available and events like these. People from out of town shop at our stores and eat at our restaurants while they are here. It’s great for our tourism and economy,” Mark Harbin, City of Whiting’s Director of Events said. “Every year we try to do something different. And this year we wanted to bring something special to it because it’s our 125th anniversary.”

The parade started on Calumet and made its way to Whiting City Hall. Fun floats of all types made their way down the streets in succession, their twinkling lights dazzling spectators, young and old. Santa was there, the Grinch made an appearance, and many more familiar holiday faces could be found at the Illuminated Parade.

After the parade ended, a tree lighting ceremony took place in front of Whiting City Hall. Whiting Mayor Joe Stahura was there to commemorate the occasion with everyone else in attendance. Santa joined him on the steps and counted down with the crowd…and then the town lit up. The first was a large pine tree in front of City Hall that was festooned with holiday decorations, followed by other trees that lined 119th Street. Everyone cheered at the sparkling spectacle.

The night’s events followed a number of great gatherings that Whiting held throughout the year. The City was celebrating a momentous anniversary, so of course the events had to be big and memorable.

“I don’t think we could have done anything better. It was a true celebration of the city’s anniversary,” Harbin said. “The events that we planned as a community spoke for themselves. They were well-attended and we got very lucky with the weather. We’re trying to invite people to see what Whiting has to offer for our residents and our guests.”

Though the year is coming to a close, that doesn’t mean that the fun is ending. Whiting is hosting many events during the month of December. Coming next is the Holiday Pops Concert on December 6 at the Marion Memorial Auditorium. Don’t miss it! 

~* Happy Holidays to you and yours from NWIndianaLife! *~