CHESTERTOWN — The pace was brisk to match the cold weather Friday night, Nov. 29 when the Downtown Chestertown Association and Main Street Chestertown kicked off the holiday season with the annual parade down High Street. The highlight of the swiftly moving 29-entry parade was the arrival of Santa on the back of a Chestertown Volunteer Fire Company truck.
Cash prizes in amounts ranging from $150 to $30 were presented to the top parade entries.
They are listed here.
Bands: Kent County High School with Brigade of Blue alumni and members of the Kent County Middle School band, first; and Kent County Community Band low brass ensemble, second.
Vehicles: Brett Nicholson, first; Jon Slocum driving for Ye Olde Town Bocce League, second; and Douglas Hewes/Open Doors Partners in Education, third.
Business: Honey Do LLC, first; Hot Diggity Dawg Pet Services, second; and Dancing on the Shore with Minnie Maloney, third.
Youth/Family: University of Maryland Extension Kent County 4-H, first; Cub Scout Pack 216 of Church Hill, second; and Michael and Elizabeth Weisman/Lauretum, third.
Nonprofit: Church Hill Theatre, first; Friends of Engine 64 Inc., second; and Rough Riders, third.
After disembarking from the fire truck on Friday night, Santa visited with children at his house in Fountain Park.
He will return on Saturdays, Dec. 7, Dec. 14 and Dec. 21, from 10 a.m. to noon. Each child will receive a gift bag from Santa, courtesy of Twigs & Teacups.
Santa’s arrival and Friday’s parade also had the support of local businesses and community members including Stam’s Luncheonette, The Peoples Bank, Ye Olde Town Bocce League, Kent Cultural Alliance, The Imperial Hotel, Hippocratic Growth, Cross Street Realtors, Occasions Catering, Bad Alfred’s Distilling, The Bookplate, Chesapeake Bank & Trust, Evergrain Bread Company, Houston’s Dockside Emporium and Jerry Moe’s.
