Residents from throughout the tri-county area flocked to Ocala on Saturday night to enjoy the 64th edition of the Ocala/Marion County Christmas Parade.
Participants gathered at the McPherson Government Complex in the afternoon and the parade officially stepped off SE at 25th Avenue and E Ft. King Street at 5:30 p.m. The route then turned west onto Silver Springs Boulevard and continued until NE 8th Avenue, where it turned north and ended a short time later at Tuscawilla Park.
A variety of floats wowed spectators, as well as marching bands, a slew of law enforcement and fire department emergency vehicles, decked-out Jeeps, local dance groups, a huge gingerbread house, participants covered in balloons and, of course, Santa Claus himself. The theme of this year’s parade, which has been a staple in the community since 1955, was “A Small Town Christmas.”
The two-mile-long event, which featured 108 entries, also holds the distinction of being the longest-running nighttime Christmas parade in the Sunshine State. It was organized by volunteers from Friends of the Christmas Parade and sponsored by Florida Express Environmental, Combined Insurance Services of Florida, Tri-Am RV and Stan and Martha Hansen.
The winning entries in this year’s parade were:
- Non-Profit: 1. Fernandina Pirates; 2. Transition life Center; 3. Champions for champions.
- Junior ROTC: 1. West Port High School; 2. Forest High School; 3. North Marion High School.
- Bands: Howard Middle School; 2. West Port High School; 3. Lake Weir High School.
- Commercial: 1. Silver Springs State park and Silver River Museum; 2. Fuller Amusement; 3. Lowe’s Home Improvement.
- Youth-built: 1. Marion Ballet Collaborative; 2. MTI; 3. Kids Helping Kids.
You can see the parade in its entirety above, thanks to Marion County Public Schools Media. Otherwise, please enjoy some images from the event featured below.
