Huge crowd watches Rochester Christmas Parade march in the holiday spirit

Members of the Spaulding Red Raider varsity hockey team wear their skates while marching in Sunday's Rochester Christmas Parade. (Rochester Chamber of Commerce photos)

ROCHESTER - Nearly 80 parade entries including some 20 floats and three local high school marching bands participated in Sunday's Christmas Parade that saw a huge crowd line the streets of the downtown to watch the show.

The theme of this year's holiday parade was "A Sweet Christmas" and it was a sweet one, indeed, especially for Rochester Elks Lodge #1393, whose float took Best of Show. Their entry depicted a snow-covered Gingerbread house decorated with candy, gum drops, lollipops candy canes ornaments.

CELEBRATING THEIR SERVICE, SACRIFICE - Rochester American Legion's float shows an at-home Military family and a deployed parent receiving a welcome care package.

Other float winners included in the Youth Division a first to Gonic School and a second to 8U Rochester Slammers; in the Organization Division, a first to Rochester Fair, second Rochester Farmers Market and third to First United Methodist Church; and in the Commercial Division, first to Studio 109, second to 110 Grill and third to Students Transportation of Rochester.

This year's Holiday Parade was underwritten by Service Credit Union.

Entertainment for the parade was provided by four marching bands, including the Spaulding High School Red Raider Marching Band, Somersworth High School Marching Band, Wells High School Band from Wells, Maine, and the Bektash Shriner Clowns of New Hampshire.

The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce has been organizing and presenting Rochester's annual Holiday Parade since the mid-1980s and is the largest holiday parade on the Seacoast.

Chamber President Laura Ring said many

SLEIGHING THE CROWD: Multiple local safety agencies worked seamlessly to get Santa to the parade in his sleigh which was put together by Dover Police, transported to the parade by Rochester Police and moved along the parade route by Rochester Fire.

volunteers were instrumental in putting on the parade, including the Rochester Police Department for coordinating traffic as well as the Great Bay Radio Club, Crosspoint Church, SOS Recovery and the Rochester Social Club and community volunteers for assisting at various traffic control locations throughout the downtown area.

This year's Holiday Events Committee Chairman was former Fire Chief Norm Sanborn who has done a wonderful job leading the committee for many years to accomplish the decisions and tasks involved with the event, Ring added.