EDGERTON ROYALTY…From left to right these lovely girls, Leighton Showalter, Sadie Walther, Jocelynn Nickels, Felicity Thiel and Paige Hobeck, were happy to be Santa’s helpers as he met with Edgerton children following the first Lighted Parade, on November 26, 2022. (PHOTO BY REBECCA MILLER, STAFF)
By: Rebecca Miller
Santa has been coming to visit with the children of Edgerton for years, but has always arrived on a fire truck with families present to allow kids to sit on his lap and have a chat.
It was different for 2022, as on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the village turned out to see him escorted in by a parade of cheerily lighted vehicles. He still rode in on the old firetruck, but the evening held a few extras.
Santa was asked by Mayor Robert Day to lead the crowd in a countdown to turn on the decorative lights at the gazebo and on the town Christmas Tree.
Kids and adults alike counted down with him and cheered when the lights turned on to begin the Christmas season.
The parade was short but fun as a number of floats had The Grinch waving and throwing candy at the parade watchers.
The organizers had put out a notice that anyone who wanted to be in the parade should just show up by 5:30 on November 26 at the Edgerton Village Hall, with their mode of transportation lit up and ready to go.
Golf carts, tractors, trailers, bikes, horses or any other mode of transportation were welcome.
In the coming years, they will probably have a wider variety but for this very first one, there were trucks pulling floats, a semi, a large farm machine and a few golf carts.
The crowd didn’t seem to mind that it was short, as everyone had the opportunity to enjoy some fresh cookies and hot chocolate around a fire pit near the Gazebo and to visit with family and friends.
The children quickly lined up all the way from the Gazebo to the street with their adults in tow. Santa climbed off his truck and waded through the crowd wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.
Edgerton Royalty were ready and waiting to help guide the children up and down the steps for their personal visit with Santa.
Live piano music was being played on the Gazebo piano by the LaPorte Pianist, Donovan Diedrich, who has stopped a few times to play during the year on his way through Edgerton.
He offered to come and play for the evening and Mayor Day was happy to have him come.
All it all, this first expanded version of the tree lighting and arrival of Santa was a great success, and will surely continue to expand over the coming years.
Rebecca can be reached at rebecca@thevillagereporter.com
