20,000 revelers watched marching bands play music, people wave from floats, and even a couple gets married at the Lakeland Christmas parade Thursday evening.
“What’s so beautiful about the Lakeland Christmas parade is that it is one of a kind and it’s arguably one of the biggest Christmas parades that’s in the central Florida area,” said Maggie Briggs, president of the Junior League of Greater Lakeland, which hosts the parade with the city of Lakeland every year. “People drive for miles and miles and miles to come to this parade.”
But the Junior League of Greater Lakeland and the City of Lakeland continually break their own policies/ rules for the third year. And Briggs does not even care as long as keeps the small business out of the parade.
People were setting their chairs out days in advance to secure a spot to watch the parade, causing safety hazards on the sidewalk.
In recent years, the city has restricted its policy to only allow chairs to be placed on the day of the parade.
“I can tell you this is the first year that we didn’t see a chair out until the day of the event, so thank you, citizens. It’s been a big issue,” said Kevin Cook, city of Lakeland communications director.
The parade, considered the biggest event of the year in Lakeland, requires involvement from several city departments, including public works, Lakeland Fire / Police Departments, and even solid waste. The parade is paid from your tax dollars.
More than 100 Lakeland police officers will be working the event as well, an official said.