WHEELING - Wearing two jackets and wrapped in four blankets, 4-year-old Tucker Hill was able to stay warm and cozy for the Perkins Restaurant and Bakery Fantasy in Lights Parade on Friday.
Santa Claus brought North Pole-like temperatures with him for his annual trek through downtown Wheeling, but that did not stop Ohio Valley residents from crowding the sidewalks along Main and Market streets to watch 28 bands and 26 floats ring in the holiday season.
Hill attended the parade with his grandparents, Jesse and Sandy Hill of Benwood.
Article Photos
Photos by Scott McCloskey
Members of the Wheeling Park High School Marching Band make their way along Market Street Friday as the final band of the Perkins Restaurant and Bakery Fantasy in Lights Parade.
"I am nice and warm," Tucker Hill said.
Sandy Hill said the best part of attending the Wheeling parade is watching her grandson's eyes light up when Santa Claus makes his way down the street.
Jesse Hill also enjoyed seeing the train float sponsored by West Virginia Northern Community College.
"I like to see the train, and so does Tucker," Jesse Hill said.
Bridgeport resident Glory Gully attended the parade with her daughter, Johnna Rush, and grandsons Sebastian and Shiloh Rush.
"The kids want to see Santa Claus. ... Even though it is really cold, the kids will enjoy the parade," Gully said.
Katelyn Freeman, a 2008 graduate of Bridgeport High School, also braved the cold to see her high school band perform.
"I like watching all of the bands, but especially Bridgeport's," she said.
Sandy Milovac of Bellaire also enjoyed the parade.
"Everything is just so beautiful here. ... Everyone is having a wonderful time," she said.
Sandy's husband, Dave Milovac, said those watching the parade were not that worried about the cold.
"The joy takes the place of warmth," he said.
For the first time, the parade featured a stop in front of the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce office at 1310 Market St. for a musical performance. Carrie Lutz, who recently won the Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack Idol Contest, sang for the audience.
Nicole Bacher and her children, Frederick, 2, and Rosemary, 3, experienced the Friendly City's parade for the first time. They recently moved to Wheeling from Maryland.
"We look forward to our first Christmas in Wheeling," Bacher said, noting her sister, Cassandra Wilson, is a local resident.
Wheeling police Sgt. Bill Goldbaugh was on parade duty on Main Street. Market Street appeared packed with people compared to Main Street.
"Usually even if it's cold there's more people than this," Goldbaugh noted. "Usually you can't find a space."
Multiple layers of clothing, plus fleece blankets kept Belmont resident Tanya Bannan and her family members warm on Main Street.
"The floats are my favorite," Bannan noted.
Bannan's mother, Debbie Gaspar of Baytown, Texas, and her brother, Jason Gaspar of Massanautten, Va., came back to Wheeling to watch the parade.
Debbie and Kurt Cox of Claysville, Pa., planned to watch the parade from their heated vehicle parked in a lot along the route. Debbie Cox noted she and her husband attend the parade each year and visit Wheeling on a regular basis.
"We love Wheeling. ... We come down for the all the things at the riverfront," she said.
Kurt Cox noted they eat dinner at Uncle Pete's in North Wheeling about every Friday. Before the parade, they browsed the crafts selection at a Christmas show at WesBanco Arena. The craft show continues from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
To keep warm during the parade, Bellaire resident Karen Castricone decided to wear a little of everything, along with drinking hot cocoa and coffee she and her family brought with them.
"I got double everything. ... I'm sitting on a blanket, I have a blanket over me and I have two hats on," she said.