The city of Whiting sprang to life in a cacophony of light and sound with the annual Whiting Christmas Parade. The Whiting community experienced seeing live reindeer walk down 119th Avenue. They also had the opportunity for their children to have a photo snapped with Santa. But most of all, they were able to see the magic of a thousand lights upon Whiting City Hall.
“It’s the happiest time of the year when everyone comes together. The city of Whiting is known for being a small, heartwarming community. The parade is about togetherness, it’s kids, it’s about families,” said Amy Baran, Director of Communications for Whiting.
Children hopped and cheered for the floats as the parade marched on. The crowd lit up when an illuminated train made it’s way to City Hall and lit up even more when Santa rode up to spread some cheer.
“It’s a great day! And it’s all for the kids,” Mayor Joe Stahura said.
The event featured a total 35 floats. Some featured small businesses from Whiting, others were lit up, but nearly all of them tossed candy to the eager children. Magic, Music, and More LLC invited some of their princesses, including Anna and Elsa from Frozen to hand out candy.
“It’s been growing and growing. We have a lot of new and different things going into it,” said Norb Dudzik, event coordinator for Whiting. The parade and downtown's display featured more lights than ever before.
After the parade, the community came together to sing some Christmas Carols, including Jingle Bells and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Mayor Stahura lead the town in a countdown to the lighting of the Christmas Tree. As the switch was flipped, the crowd gasped as all the thousands of lights on City Hall lit up in red and green.
Mr. and Mrs. Claus took a seat near City Hall, where people could take pictures with their kids and the famous Christmas couple. Each child received a stocking of candy after they posed with Santa.
The City of Whiting is hosting a Holiday Artisan Market at Lakefront Park on December 10th.
For more information about events in Whiting, go to whitingindiana.com
