Parade-goers could witness history Saturday when the annual Downtown Springfield Christmas Parade steps off at 2 p.m. at South Avenue and Elm Street.
This year’s theme is “Santa Paws is Coming to Town,” and it will feature what is believed to be the first four-legged grand marshal in the parade’s long history: Googey the Cat, from BookMarx.
“Obviously the parade has been going on longer than any of us can recount, but to our knowledge, this is the first time we’ve had a four-legged grand marshal,” said Hailey Magnus, communications manager for the Downtown Springfield Association.
Googey enjoying a big 2023
Captain Springfield himself will lead the floats, marching bands and other assorted entries through Park Central Square — as long as he can manage all the holiday hubbub.
“Googey is going to be riding, with me holding him in a bubble backpack, in a convertible back seat,” Joshua Arnett, owner of BookMarx and Googey, confirmed to the Daily Citizen in a Facebook message, adding. “Will it be a disaster? Possibly!”
The good news is that Googey’s first practice session went well.
“We tried out the bubble backpack yesterday and he was chill and just kind of settled into it, so hopefully he remains as relaxed on Saturday, but I’ll have catnip and treats to try to calm him down,” Arnett said.
It’s been a big year for the orange cat. He captured more than 8,000 votes in August to become the eighth Captain Springfield and the first non-human to win the contest, which is run by the Springfield News-Leader.
“Since then (Googey), and BookMarx owner Josh Arnett, have taken the title seriously, using the promotion to support local animal and literacy-focused nonprofits,” said a Downtown Springfield Association press release.
Animals and the people who love them the focus of parade theme
And that’s not the only animal fun parade-goers have to look forward to. Hillcrest High School’s Future Farmers of America are providing the horses to pull Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus’ wagon, while the Experience Church plans on having camels as part of its entry.
“We’ve got more specific animal groups coming, too, like K9s for Camo, Rescue One and Zoomin Groomin,” Magnus said. “We know that people around here love their pets, we just had Googey win the title of Captain Springfield and we’ve got a bunch of great organizations around town that are working for the betterment of animals, so it seemed like a great time to celebrate them.”
Floats, marching bands and more scheduled to take part
The parade lineup features all the longtime favorites, including marching bands from Springfield’s public schools and several surrounding communities. They’ll march north on South Avenue before circling the west side of Park Central Square and heading east on St. Louis Street to the Springfield Expo Center.
“We’re super excited,” Magnus said. “Of course, we have our favorites coming out, like the Springfield Cardinals. And everyone loves it when the Coca-Cola group goes by and hands out their sodas. We’ve also got some cool, different groups in this year’s parade.”
Pre-parade fun includes Christmas Market, window competition
The parade is just one event in a busy day downtown Dec. 9. The Christmas Market returns for its third year on Park Central Square, from noon until the parade ends, with several food and shopping options.
“You can get tacos, or if you want something sweet we’ve got the Wonky Waffle,” Magnus said. “There will be people offering hot chocolate and fun beverages. We’ve got Fizz Sips-n-Sweets coming out. And, of course, we’ve got groups like Formed: An Artist Collective and SOAP Refill Station selling all kinds of fun goodies to help stuff stockings this year.”
Parade-goers can also stroll through the neighborhood and check out the 20-plus businesses participating in the Team A.N.A. 417 Downtown Springfield Holiday Window Challenge. Dec. 9 is the last day to vote in the competition. Team A.N.A. 417 is a Springfield nonprofit whose mission is to “inspire patients and their families, educate communities and drive research to help find answers for acoustic neuromas and other benign brain tumors.”
Stick around for Santa, train rides and horse-drawn carriages
After the parade, Park Central Square will stay busy as the City of Springfield continues its Santa Weekends. From 6-8 p.m., guests can visit Santa and Mrs. Claus in the Santa House under the Mayor’s Tree and ride the SGF Holiday Express train around the inside of the square. Santa Weekends are also planned Dec. 15-16 and 22-23.
Free horse-drawn carriage rides will also be available after the parade. They’re provided by the Downtown CID.
And, just a short drive away from the square, there is Festival of Lights Free Ice Skating at Jordan Valley Ice Park from 7-8:30 p.m. Skate rentals are $3 per pair, or you can bring your own. All ages are welcome. The Springfield-Greene County Park Board is also offering free ice skating from 7-8:30 p.m. Dec. 23 and 25.
