Kalamazoo Holiday Parade, Kalamazoo Michigan

The Kalamazoo Holiday Parade will be held on November 14, 2009 in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Kalamazoo Holiday Parade is a Kalamazoo Tradition kicking off the holiday season in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

The Kalamazoo Holiday Parade is sponsored by DKA Charities, Maple Hill Auto Group and WRKR- Cumulus Broadcasting. 105 community organizations will participate in the Kalamazoo Holiday Parade including businesses, schools, charities and civic groups.

This year's Kalamazoo Holiday Parade will feature 5 giant helium balloons including Felix the Cat sponsored by Meijer, Rudolph sponsored by Mavcon Construction and Development, Pizzaz the Snowman sponsored by Bronson Healthcare Group and Bronson Children's Hospital, Odie sponsored by Midwest Radio Group and Madeline sponsored by Downtown Kalamazoo, Inc.. Santa provides the finale to the Kalamazoo Holiday Parade.

The parade route begins on Lovell Street and turn on to Park Street to pass Bronson Park. Then parade then turns right on Michigan Ave. and proceeds down Michigan to Pitcher. The parade concludes back at its start point on Lovell Street. The streets are lined with spectators and it may be necessary to arrive early to get a curbside space to watch the Holiday Parade. The Parade begins at 11 am and is an hour long.

Music for the Kalamazoo Holiday Parade will be provided by 14 local marching bands including the Western Michigan University Marching Band. Local businesses will distribute candy to kids along the parade route. Groups participating in the parade include schools, community organizations, dance groups, animal rescue groups and many local businesses. The parade includes emergency vehicles and floats by many Kalamazoo groups.

The Kalamazoo Holiday Parade is recorded and broadcast live by Public Media Network and is usually shown on Kalamazoo Public Access channels throughout the holiday season.

In addition to the Holiday parade, there are a number of other activities in downtown Kalamazoo on parade day. The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety will have emergency vehicles on display on the Kalamazoo Mall. The Kalamazoo Valley Museum will have a festival of arts featuring local artists demonstrating skills with hands on crafts for the kids. The Michigan News will have a color fest where kids can color pictures with all supplies provided. Many other events are planned in the downtown Kalamazoo area. A complete list of special Holiday events can be found at CentralCity.net.

The Kalamazoo Holiday Parade is a tradition you won't want to miss. You can spend a day with the family in downtown Kalamazoo as we launch the holiday season.