Noblesville ends annual Christmas parade suspended during COVID pandemic

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — The annual Noblesville Christmas Parade, put on pause in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, won’t return, the city government told News 8 on Wednesday.

Emily Gaylord, communications director for the city government, told News 8 by email, “The City will continue the Santa Tour in lieu of the Christmas Parade. The Santa Tour has proved to be successful as we are able to reach more people in our community.”

The 41st annual Noblesville Christmas Parade on Dec. 1, 2019, was the city’s last. The event would attract nonprofits, which were allowed to enter the parade at no cost, and businesses and other organizations, which paid a $10 fee to enter the parade.

The city canceled the parade in 2020 due to the pandemic and replaced it with the Home for the Holidays Tour featuring Santa Claus. Police, fire and street department vehicles carried Santa into select city neighborhoods. That continued in 2021, with five parade dates on Saturday and Sundays in the first two weekends of December.

Mayor Chris Jensen in a 2021 news release touted the return of the holidays tour for a second year. “The pandemic made us be creative and shift our plans to keep the holiday spirit alive. What we saw were larger crowds of enthusiastic residents that really enjoyed the new format. Because of the numbers we saw, and the ability to thank our first responders and essential city workers, I decided to have the neighborhood tour once again this year.”