The Mayor’s Christmas Parade – Gallery

November 5th, 2018 by The Professor

WLOY has been a part of the Mayor’s Annual Christmas Parade in Hampden since 2010 when we were invited to enter. We naturally assumed this meant we needed a float so we built one. Unlike all the other media that entered the parade with their generic vans, we got a bit serious… We have lots of photos from the various years but below are links to the official ones on the parade’s website. Perhaps the best result was when the parade was up for US Today’s 10 Best Holiday Parades in the US award. The featured image used worldwide was our very own float with Hillary tossing out fuzzy snowballs to the kids lining the sidewalks. We were pretty overwhelmed to see that as the photo used as it was a complete surprise! The parade is every year on the first Sunday in December at 1pm and runs from Falls Rd & Cold Spring Lane along Falls Road South to 38th Street where it turns East and runs to Chestnut, turning North and ending. Join the fun (and 20,000 friends) and say hi to WLOY. Who knows what this year’s theme will be?? Read on for the image gallery!

2010 – Santa’s sleigh full of gifts with flamingos pulling and reindeer riding
Christa, Tim & Amanda with the van
The Van on parade
Local sentiments work best

2011 – We added the kids from our What Happens Next? radio show to the troupe
WHN Kids plus Anthony, Molly, Alex, Joe, Amanda, Kait
The big kids carry the sign – Anthony, Kate, Joe, Amanda, Billy, Eric, Bobby
The van, holding up traffic as usual

2012 – We go all in, with Hillary as Santa on the roof and Ravens & Orioles helping pull the sleigh
Hillary throwing stuffed snowballs to the kids
At least she doesn’t look too nervous
Nikky, Kait and Alex surround the van with Hillary caught mid throw
Nikky & Kait not yet seeing the weird sock puppet behind them…

2013 – We turned the top of the van into a snow globe with Sam inside throwing snow around
s-NO-w parade – first snow cancellation ever. The next week WLOY made it’s now parade, building the float (a giant snow globe with Sam sitting inside!) and parking in Hampden for 2 hours playing music, getting photographed and having fun!

2014 – The whole top of the van was a giant Santa hat, with a helium-filled tip to float behind us, the front had a “boh” cowlick, eye and mustache to keep it nice and local
Big crew with the big hat – Marge, Lauren, Tyler, Leandra, Jeremy, The Van, Katie, Lauren P?, Kelly, Courtney, Sam

2015 – The hat was so good we had to repeat
Katie & Marge with the van
Katie, Gordon, Allie, Marge, Nora, Brendan, Molly?, Joanna
Allie, Nora, Joanna

2016 – Santa at the beach with a surfing gingerbread man, swimming Santa and everyone in Hawaiian shirts
Marge, Will, Rebecca, Gordon
The van in all it’s glory
Cara, Steve and a very jealous JackFM van looking lame behind our float

2017 – Disco Santa! DJ Paul Random on the roof spinning the tunes and everyone in ABBA disco wear
Ashley, Will and Emma
Our lame disco ball (so much work!) with DJ Santa on the roof

2018 – Snoopy’s doghouse with a live Snoopy DJ (Paul Random) on top!
Post-Parade Update:
Snoopy was a massive hit
Why don’t we get awards for this?
Yes, Snoopy did steal his kids iPad for the parade

Seriously the biggest hit float we’ve done yet – look for it to return!!

2019 – Snoopy’s doghouse with a live Snoopy DJ (Stefan Joyce) on top!
Post-Parade Update: Another massive response from the crowd and 3000 candy canes handed out!
Too bad Stefan didn’t have fun
That hill is a lot longer than it looks
We mean it!

2020 – Stupid Covid

2021 – Snoopy’s doghouse with a live Snoopy DJ (Retro Eddie Fine) on top!
Post-Parade Update: 2nd place trophy!!!
Snoopy Rocks!
Eddie clearly bored
Snoopy Revving up the crowd!
Probably need to replace those bumper stickers…

2022 – Snoopy’s doghouse with a live Snoopy DJ (Retro Eddie Fine) jumping like a madman up top! The kids can’t get enough and another 3000 candy canes handed out by our great staff
Post-Parade Update: