Crown Point welcomed Santa to the Hub of Lake County on Saturday with their annual Santa Parade. The popular tradition saw residents greet Mr. and Mrs. Claus as they made their way to the Old Courthouse on the Crown Point Square. The city, with a flair for drama, made sure that everyone knew that Santa came to town.
Crown Point’s Santa Parade features the Man in Red making his way in a fire engine to the Old Courthouse, where he spends each weekend until Christmas meeting with the city’s kids and families. He arrived in style, as he does each year, landing in the Pointe Plaza in a Lake County Sheriff’s Department helicopter. But this year, he had guests, Poppy and Branch from the movie Trolls. Traditions like the parade are what Crown Point is built on according to Mayor David Uran.
“We’re built on family values,” said Mayor Uran. “Things like this, family events, are what we’re about. Whether it’s our Saint Patrick’s Day nighttime parade, our festivals in the summertime, these are things that bring people out into the community, out of their homes. It’s what makes our community. Our motto is ‘Building a stronger community from within!’”
Before Santa made his debut, families met with Poppy, Branch, and other Trolls characters on a float built by Debbie’s Designs. Kids laughed and played with their favorite Trolls as their parents took pictures and met with friends and family. Some families were returning residents, and loved that the city puts on such an amazing show.
“We’re from Crown Point but it’s our first time coming out,” said Whitney Hagarbone, a Crown Point resident. “We’d been living other places for 11 years, and this is our first year back. It’s fantastic that the city does this, in our family we always talk about how it’s important to create and promote positive things around us.”
For others, the Santa Parade is a tradition for their families. Taking their kids to an event that they know and love, and sharing that holiday cheer with the community is what Crown Point is all about.
“We’ve been coming here for several years now since we live right around the corner,” said Ashley Edmonds. “It’s awesome that they do this, we love Crown Point. It’s such a close knit community, and keeping something like this a tradition and seeing all the kids faces is amazing.”
For those that missed the parade, do not worry, Santa and Mrs. Claus plan to visit families and take pictures in the lower level of the Old Courthouse from 12pm to 4pm every weekend until December 23rd. To learn more about Crown Point’s holiday events, visit crownpoint.in.gov.
