Call Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, because the Lakeland Christmas Parade is back tomorrow, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m.
After a paradeless 2020, the holiday gem of Swan City will kick off for its 40th run (2019 was the 39th parade). The parade will leave from the RP Funding Center and travel down Lemon Street toward downtown, turn at Main Street to Cedar Street, wind around Lake Mirror, head up Orange Street and end back at the RP Funding Center after a 1.25-mile course.
Made possible every year in part by the Junior League of Greater Lakeland, this year’s theme is “Season of Joy, Together Again for the Holidays,” which is all about reconnecting after the hand that 2020 dealt the world. The parade will feature floats reflective of this theme.
Parade participants will compete to win:
- Most outstanding band
- Most original float
- Best professional float
- Best youth or educational float
- Best community float
- Best business float
- Best theme float
- Judge’s choice
And, of course, to kick off the holiday season, Santa and Mrs. Claus will wrap up the parade.
Aside from getting a live look at the action, the parade will be televised on the City of Lakeland’s Facebook Page, or Spectrum Channel 643, FiOS Channel 43, or Comcast Channel 5.
2021 List of Participates
| Numerical Order | |
| 1 | Lakeland Police Department – Color Guard |
| 2 | Junior League – Banner |
| 3 | Grand Marshall- TBA |
| 4 | City of Lakeland/Mayor & City Commissioners |
| 5 | Lakeland Fire Department |
| 6 | LPD & LFD Tahoes |
| 7 | LPD & LFD Walkers |
| 8 | Polk County Sheriff’s Office |
| 9 | Polk County Board of Commissioners |
| 10 | Polk County Fire Rescue |
| 11 | The RP Funding Center – Miss Florida |
| 12 | Lakeland Electric |
| 13 | Junior League |
| 14 | City of Lakeland Recycling Truck |
| 15 | Mine and Mill Industrial Supply Company |
| 16 | Santa Fe Catholic High School |
| 17 | Medulla Baptist Church |
| 18 | R. Bruce Wagner Elementary School |
| 19 | George Jenkins HS Marching Band |
| 20 | Girl Scout USA Troop 74604 |
| 21 | Lakeland Tropic Youth Football |
| 22 | Tammy’s Dance Company |
| 23 | Salvation Army |
| 24 | Samira Belly Dance |
| 25 | Bonnett Springs LLC |
| 26 | Florida Children’s Museum |
| 27 | Lakeland Christian School Band |
| 28 | Lock Insurance |
| 29 | The Early Learning Coalition |
| 30 | Bent’s Cycling |
| 31 | Polk County Toys for Tots |
| 32 | Lakeland Youth Alliance/Polk Pride |
| 33 | Aerospace Center for Excellence Central Florida Aerospace Sun’n Fun Fly-In |
| 34 | Crystal’s World of Dance |
| 35 | Together Church Lakeland |
| 36 | Medulla Elementary |
| 37 | Cub Scout Pack 106 |
| 38 | Cleveland Court Elementary |
| 39 | Bartow Ford |
| 40 | East Lakeland Baseball |
| 41 | Daughter’s of American Revolution |
| 42 | Lake Gibson High School Band & JROTC |
| 43 | Lake Gibson Senior FFA |
| 44 | Under Armour Legends Youth Baseball |
| 45 | Little Footsteps Academy LLC |
| 46 | Rochelle School of the Arts |
| 47 | Edward Jones Investments |
| 48 | Wendy’s Dance Company |
| 49 | Oscar Mayer Weinermobile |
| 50 | Republican Club of Lakeland/Women’s Republican Club of Lakeland |
| 51 | New Beginnings High School |
| 52 | Lakeland Moonwalk with Kids Pack Inc |
| 53 | Dance Elite |
| 54 | Southwest Middle School |
| 55 | Sky Powersports Lakeland |
| 56 | Lakeland Dreadnaught Marching Band |
| 57 | Lakeland High School JROTC |
| 58 | Florida Forest Service |
| 59 | Chick-Fil-A |
| 60 | Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate |
| 61 | Empire Dance Company |
| 62 | Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine |
| 63 | Southeastern University |
| 64 | North Lakeland Softball |
| 65 | Hall Communications/Big 4 Radio/WONN/WPCV/WLKF/WWZR |
| 66 | Mckeel Academy of Technology |
| 67 | Mckeel Academy Central |
| 68 | South McKeel Academy |
| 69 | Made Mentors Inc/ Taken By Surprise Step Team |
| 70 | Autism Acceptance Truck Group |
| 71 | S&D Real Estate Services |
| 72 | Polk County Catholic Schools |
| 73 | Kelly Buick GMC |
| 74 | Lakeland Water Ski Club |
| 75 | Family Martial Arts Center |
| 76 | Family Reptiles |
| 77 | APA Polk County |
| 78 | Florida Dance Arts |
| 79 | Kathleen High School Band |
| 80 | Kathleen High School JROTC & Cheerleaders |
| 81 | Pediatric Dentistry of Lakeland- Dr Erin |
| 82 | SPCA Florida |
| 83 | RE/Max Experts |
| 84 | Boss Hog Radio |
| 85 | Dietrich Hillard Orthodontics |
| 86 | Tenoroc FFA |
| 87 | Smith Feddler and Smith |
| 88 | City of Lakeland- Santa and Mrs. Clause |