Mummers march as part of a previous Coatesville Christmas Parade. Robert O. Williams/ The Williams Group
The Coatesville Christmas Parade, presented by Cleveland-Cliffs, will be front and center down the storied Lincoln Highway, on Dec. 6, at 10:00 a.m. The parade, which began in 1950s, traditionally hosts over 160 plus entries gracing the Lincoln Highway. It features Mummers Bands straight from Broad Street, children’s dance troops, fleets of tow trucks, police cars, and fire trucks, to local businesspeople showing off their custom-crafted floats—and everything in between. The Coatesville Christmas Parade has it all!
Back by popular demand, at the request of families with children with sensitivity to noise, will be Quiet Zones. Lincoln Highway blocks 4th Avenue through 5th Avenue and 8th Avenue through 9th Avenue will provide an area where fire apparatus or anyone with a siren or horn is asked to refrain from horns and sirens. “This idea came up in an online survey of parade attendees,” says Greg DePedro, Parade Vice President. “We like to respond to our audience’s needs and requests.”
This year’s Presenting Sponsor, for the third year in a row, is Cleveland-Cliffs, a leading North America-based steel producer with a focus on value-added sheet products, particularly for the automotive industry. Cliffs’ Coatesville operation is a steel plate production facility located in the heart of Chester County, with headquarters based in Cleveland, Ohio, employing approximately 30,000 people across its footprint in the United States and Canada. The local operation produces steel from scrap in an electric arc furnace (EAF). The Coatesville facility refines more than 450 different steel chemistries and produces some of the widest, thickest, and heaviest steel plates in the industry. Cliffs now operates the plant historically known as the Lukens Steel Company.
“We are here to support the community where we can and want to kick off the holiday season with a real thankful spirit in the air, and that’s what the Christmas parade does every year by capturing the magic of the season, and provides an opportunity for us to see all of those smiling faces lined up along the Business 30 corridor, which is what it’s really all about,” said Senior General Manager of Eastern Plate, Cory Chappell. Cliffs strives to engage directly with residents, elected officials, community leaders and organizations to foster open communication and ensure they are a good neighbor. Through the Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation at the corporate level, they support the important needs of the communities where they operate.
This year’s Grand Marshal is the team from F. Breuninger Insurance. “The idea of honoring community members who have been exceptional citizens with the title of Grand Marshal goes back to the 1960s,” says Mr. DePedro. “Chip, Maureen, and Joe (and their team) have been incredibly responsive to this community. Just look at almost any event and you’ll see that Breuninger is probably one of the supporters. It’s been that way since Chip’s dad started the business in the Forties.”
“Breuninger Insurance has been helping their clients meet their insurance needs since F. Frederick Breuninger (Fred) opened his doors in 1949. Fred’s wife, Sally, joined the business in 1963, becoming one of the first female independent agents in the area. Today, Chip Breuninger, his wife Maureen, and their son-in-law Joe Regenski continue the tradition of making clients feel like family,” according to their site. “Their enthusiasm for the business and industry expertise are shared by the entire courteous, professional, and knowledgeable Breuninger team, all of whom keep current with today’s insurance trends through continuing education and training. From employees to customers, people who do business with Breuninger Insurance tend to stick around for the long haul. More than a few of our clients have been insured with Breuninger for over 40 years, so it should come as no surprise that we think of our clientele as family. In Chip’s words, “That’s the only way we know how to do it.””
This year’s parade is made possible through the generosity of the following sponsors: Alliance For Health Equity, Belfor, Bentley, Inc., Breuninger Insurance, Brian Hoskins Ford, Brighter Future, Caliber Collision, Citadel, City of Coatesville, Cleveland-Cliffs, First Resource Bank, Freedom Village, Fulton Bank, G.A. Vietri, Harry’s, James Terry Funeral Homes, Jeff D’Ambrosio Downingtown, Mrs. Jennifer McNeil, New Heritage Properties, Pentahealth, Presence Bank, Rock Kamps LLC., Stewart Huston Charitable Trust, The Arches, The Williams Group, Uticom, WAWA, Wegmans, Witmer Public Safety, and Zeke’s, Inc.
This hometown parade has become a cherished memory for the families of the Coatesville area and the entire Chester County region. This event now reaches into the hearts and memories of Coatesvillians everywhere, as it now streams live (and able to be viewed after the run date) on CoatesvilleChristmasParade.com.
Slated to perform this year are Duffy and Quaker City string bands, the Sixers Stixers from the Philadelphia 76ers, local elementary, middle, and high school groups, various collegiate mascots, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Brownies. Also look for: Mac from Immaculata University, Rammy from West Chester University, Miss Pennsylvania-Victoria Vespico, Andy the Armadillo and the Texas Roadhouse Dance Team, Chester County Emerald Society Pipes and Drums Band, and The Lukens Band.
Not to be missed is the always-a-show-pleaser, larger-than-life cartoon characters. An automotive competition featuring Antique, Classic, and Modified autos will be competing for prizes. Chester County police departments will compete for Best Appearing Police Vehicle.
The competition for Best Appearing Float sponsored by a non-profit organization features prizes of $500 for first place, $300 for second place, and $200 for third place. Another category is Best Decorated Fire Apparatus, with prizes of $500 for first place, $300 for second place, and $200 for third place. There is also a Best Appearing Float sponsored by a for-profit organization. The floats compete for bragging rights. Lastly, there will be a competition for Best Appearing Group. Note that all competitions are for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places.
Bringing up the rear of the parade will be none other than, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, riding on a Coatesville Fire Department truck. And best of all, admission is free. Visit the Parade website at www.CoatesvilleChristmasParade.com for more information.
