GREEN BAY (NBC26) — Hundreds of spectators filled downtown Green Bay as the 41st annual Green Bay Holiday Parade brought floats, music and holiday spirit to the streets.
Watch the full broadcast here:
This year, Green Bay Neighborhoods Organization walked in the parade for the first time.
"We have all of greater Green Bay here today and we can bring everybody together … bringing people together during the holiday time," Tarl Knight said.
Knight, chairman of Green Bay Neighborhoods, says the parade showcased the true spirit of community.
"The greatest sense of community, of unity, everyone here standing shoulder to shoulder celebrating together… that's what neighborhoods can do," Knight said.
Behind the scenes, Alissa Cotter, admin manager for Downtown Green Bay, and her team spent months planning the details that brought the parade to life.
"We organized 86 floats going through downtown Green Bay really kicking off the holiday season," Cotter said.
Cotter says it's a team effort, with volunteers working before and after the event to keep the parade running smoothly.
"Downtown Green Bay is a team of nine and it takes way more than nine people to put on the Green Bay Holiday Parade," Cotter said.
After the floats move on, the cleanup begins, making sure downtown looks just as good as before the parade.
"We also can leave no trace… we pick up everything. There's a lot of candy that is thrown… and if a couple pieces are missed, we go around and pick them up," Cotter said.
For Cotter, all the effort is worth it.
"I love seeing how excited the kids get… that is the Christmas magic," Cotter said.
With the parade concluded, Green Bay's holiday season is underway.
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