Making Spirits Bright Parade
The Borough of Carlisle is pleased to announce its intent to assume the duties for this year’s December 2021 parade. While recent tradition has been that the parade takes place the same evening that Santa arrives to light the tree at the Square, the Borough anticipates holding this year’s parade on Saturday, December 4 at 11:00 a.m.
Mayor Scott expanded on the rationale for holding the event during daylight hours, “In order to augment other local holiday festivities planned by Carlisle’s downtown shop owners, restauranteurs, and agencies like DCA, we decided to put a twist on recent tradition and provide additional opportunities for our community and visitors to support small business through a daytime parade. This will also provide families with the opportunity to see Santa again before he returns to the North Pole.”
The parade, which will be known this year as the “Making Spirits Bright Parade”, will be facilitated by the Borough of Carlisle’s Parks and Recreation Department whose team is also responsible for coordinating and hosting the Annual Halloween Parade.
Deputy Mayor Shultz pointed to Carlisle Borough’s longstanding commitment and support of small business and the strides taken throughout the years to advance economic development and vitality. “Carlisle Borough is known for its collaborative spirit with strategic and creative public-private solutions throughout the course of decades and especially during the pandemic. The Carlisle Community Action Network spearheaded by Dickinson College is one great example. This parade is another example of our support of local businesses as they battle the residual impacts of the pandemic while providing a festive event for our community. We encourage everyone to come out and rediscover what makes our town a special place to visit, live and work.”
Carlisle Borough’s recent small business support initiatives have among others included expanding the Borough’s open container and sidewalk café provisions; providing approximately $150,000 in grant funds to small businesses for COVID recovery assistance; continuing to issue low interest, shopsteading loans to new businesses; answering a call for relief and assistance for downtown overnight snow removal in December 2019 and February 2020; limiting parking enforcement temporarily; and, providing temporary relief for unpaid water and sewer utility accounts.
Carlisle Borough Council members commented collectively the following, “We are extremely proud to have Borough staff step up once again to put the interests of the community at the forefront. To do so, during a period with limited available resources and while balancing a number of critical priorities is especially impressive.”
As Carlisle Borough recovers from the pandemic, the Borough of Carlisle Council and staff will continue to explore creative and strategic solutions to support the community.
The parade will begin at 11 am at West South Street and South Hanover Street proceed on South Hanover Street north ending at Louther Street on North Hanover Street.
Details on how to register your float or performing group for the parade may be found at www.CarlislePA.org/EVENTS. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Andrea Crouse, Director of Parks and Recreation, at 717-240-6951 or acrouse@carlislepa.org.
