Johnstown holiday parade to have Christmas carol theme

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jason Subik

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The eighth annual Classic Image Johnstown Holiday Parade is set for Nov. 19 and will feature a Christmas carol theme.

Event organizer Karen Coppola said parade participants this year will style their floats and costumes to popular Christmas music.

“You can take any Christmas carol and that’s how you’ll design your float or truck. Say your song is ‘Jingle Bell Rock,’ you could have some jingle bells and have people rocking along to music,” she said.

The parade route will begin at the corner of West Madison Avenue and South Melcher Street and travel north to West Main Street before continuing east down Main Street and ending at the corner of East Main Street and Jansen Avenue.

Parade organizers have not yet finalized a parade lineup and are still accepting participants. The parade lineup will be distributed prior to the parade and posted on bellefioridirect.com.

Coppola said costs have gone up for the parade this year and donations have gone down, requiring more fundraising before and during the parade. She said the cost of the parade will be approximately $1,800, including the cost of a new electricity generator for the Santa Claus float, 4,000 bags of candy that will be distributed by elves during the event and $750 for insurance. She said the parade committee is about $1,000 short of its fundraising goals so far.

“We’ve found this is a really tough year. We’ve had a number of fundraising events and we just have to keep going,” she said. “A lot of people who we’ve relied on for donations haven’t donated this year.”

This year the Classic Image Johnstown Holiday Parade anticipates having as many organizations marching as last year, but more not-for-profit entities that march for free. Businesses wishing to participate in the parade with a float must pay a $25 registration fee.

During the parade there will be refreshments including hot dogs and hamburgers at Sir William Johnson Park on West Main Street.

Also available in the park will be several fundraisers including the sale of holiday wreaths between 22 and 42 inches in size. The wreaths will range from $22 up to $75, with the proceeds going to the parade committee. Mugs with “Classic Image Johnstown Holiday Parade” written on them will also be for sale for $5 and purchasers can reuse the mugs to get a free drink at the event next year.

Coppola said another new fundraiser is a $5 collectors item booklet featuring holiday recipes. The booklet will also be on sale before the event at Something Special, located at 14 W. Main St., and Coppola’s store, Belle Fiori Direct, at 58 E. Main St.

Parade organizers encouraged people interested in contributing to the parade to write checks payable to Classic Image Johnstown Holiday Parade and send them to either P.O. Box 245, Johnstown, NY 12095, or drop them off at Belle Fiori at 58 E. Main St.

Coppola said individuals interested in participating in the parade, donating money or pre-ordering a holiday wreath can also call her at 848-3666.