Rockin’ in the Holidays
Wellington Prepares For The Historic 40th Anniversary Holiday Parade
By Mike May
Another historic moment for the Village of Wellington will take place this month. On Sunday, Dec. 8, the 40th edition of the Wellington Holiday Parade will be held along Forest Hill Blvd.
Produced by the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County and the Village of Wellington, this year’s parade will once again be the rival of any local parade in South Florida, featuring more than 100 entries, including eight school bands, which will travel the three-mile route from the intersection of Forest Hill Blvd. and Wellington Trace to Ken Adams Way in Wellington.
According to Mary Lou Bedford, CEO of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber, law enforcement officials will start closing local roads at 1 p.m. The parade will begin at 1:30 p.m., immediately after a flyover by a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, which will officially start the parade. The first two participants will be a walking honor guard, followed by a group of law enforcement officers on motorcycles.
An enthusiastic crowd of approximately 10,000 to 15,000 people is expected to once again line up along Forest Hill Blvd. to watch the floats, marching bands and all the festivities that take place along the route. The parade will conclude around 3:15 p.m. The parade’s theme this year is “Rockin’ in the Holidays.”
“This parade is a reflection of our community here in the central western communities,” Bedford said. “Our floats will range from big tractors from the local agricultural community to floats from the South Florida Fair, local scouts, elementary school PTAs and Palm Beach State College.”
It’s only appropriate that this year’s grand marshal is the individual who came up with the idea to start the Wellington Holiday Parade 40 years ago. It’s Dennis Witkowski, who was the heart and soul of the parade from the outset.
“Dennis was the ideal choice to be the grand marshal since he was the chamber’s Parade Committee chair for 35 years,” Bedford said.
Witkowski is thrilled to be serving as the parade’s honorary grand marshal this year.
“I am filled with emotion when I think about the parade. It has brought so much joy and happiness to the community,” said Witkowski, now 77. “The Wellington community was ready for a parade and people have embraced it. Over time, the parade has grown exponentially.”
The key to the success of this parade is that the committee in charge has never rested on its laurels.
“We were always thinking about next year, with the goal of making it better,” Witkowski recalled.
Witkowski, who served as the parade’s starter for years on the actual day of the parade, plans to show up early on Dec. 8. But he won’t be holding the clipboard that he used for years, directing each parade entry onto the roadway one by one.
“I will arrive at least two hours in advance, and I might bring two of my granddaughters with me to ride in the parade,” Witkowski said.
Other past grand marshals have included the Smothers Brothers, local equestrian Olympians, former WPTV news anchor Jim Sackett, famous area Major League Baseball players and even the mayor of Munchkinland from the movie The Wizard of Oz.
When Witkowski retired from being the chamber’s Parade Committee chair, the void was filled by longtime chamber supporters Kimberly and Dave Leland. The Lelands are still running the show, but they are assisted by nearly 20 people who work on the committee to make the parade an annual reality.
“We have people on the committee who have been helping organize and support the parade for more than 30 years,” Bedford noted.
One of the key figures in the parade in recent years has been Ben Boynton.
“Ben is the master of ceremonies of the parade,” Bedford said. “His job is to read the description of each entry in the parade, as it travels along Forest Hill Blvd.”
While float participants must arrive early, the same is expected of the parade’s spectators.
“Families will arrive as early as 8 a.m. to put down their seats, build tents and create a tailgate-type atmosphere. People will even decorate their dogs,” added Bedford, a veteran of 15 Wellington Holiday Parades. “Our parade is a fun, family-friendly, multi-generational event. It also helps kick off not only the holiday season, but the annual equestrian season.”
One of the keys to the success of the parade has been something that Bedford and the committee cannot control: the weather. But Bedford is confident that Mother Nature will cooperate on Dec. 8.
“We’ve never been rained out in the history of the Wellington Holiday Parade, and I expect chamber-of-commerce weather this year,” Bedford said. “The only thing that has negatively impacted the parade in the past was COVID-19 in 2020, when the parade was canceled.”
According to Bedford, the parade always attracts participation from area businesses, civic organizations, law enforcement officials, fire department personnel and political leaders from many area communities.
“We will have the local council members from Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Westlake, Loxahatchee Groves and Greenacres participating in the parade,” Bedford said.
To add some competitive flair to the parade, a committee of judges will vote on the best floats, which fall under one of several categories, such as Juvenile Floats, Adult Floats, Marching Groups, High School Bands, Performing Groups and Best in Show. The prize for winning a category is nothing more than bragging rights until the next Wellington Holiday Parade the following year.
Like all local special events, sponsors play a crucial role, and that’s certainly the case for the Wellington Holiday Parade.
“Our presenting sponsor is Wellington Regional Medical Center, and our partner is the Village of Wellington,” Bedford said. “Both Wellington Regional and the Village of Wellington are key supporters of our parade.”
To add to the appeal of attending the parade, the Holiday Park will be held on the grounds of the Wellington Amphitheater from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will include entertainment from local elementary schools, photo opportunities with Santa and Mrs. Claus, arts and crafts, business vendor booths, activities for children and other family-friendly fun.
The other key sponsors of the Wellington Holiday Parade include Florida Blue, Tropical Shipping, E-Care, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue, Print It Plus, Bolay, Two Men and a Truck, the Wellington National Golf Club, Priority Towing, Starbucks, the City of Greenacres, Minto Communities, the Royal Inn, the Boynton Financial Group, PCI, Signs by Tomorrow and the South Florida Fair.
Learn more about the parade at www.wellingtonfl.gov/723/Holiday-Parade.
