The Owensboro-Daviess County Christmas Parade is now accepting float entry and vendor applications. The parade is scheduled to return on November 18 with the theme “The Gift of Christmas.”
From now through October 31, applicants can take advantage of an Early Bird rate with an entry fee of $50 for nonprofits and $150 for commercial groups. The last day to submit applications is November 7.
For more information on the application process, click here.
This marks the parade’s second year back to the traditional format since the pandemic. Owensboro Times partnered with the Parade board to broadcast the 2022 event live on our Facebook. To watch last year’s parade, click here.
While the City helps with some aspects of the parade, the event is actually put on by the nonprofit Owensboro-Daviess County Christmas Parade Association. The Association has a board and utilizes volunteers to host the parade.
The funds to produce the parade come from entry fees, vendor fees, sponsorships, and donations.
In March 2020, parade officials decided it would be the safest option to cancel the event and hoped things would be better the next year. With the pandemic still ongoing in November 2021, officials decided to try a “static” version of the parade — where floats and performing groups would stand still while community members would walk by. However, that option was ultimately canceled due to a lack of excitement and engagement with the idea.
In 2021, a group of volunteers put together “The People’s Christmas Parade” in the absence of the traditional parade.
