Westerville Christmas Parade Returns Under New Leadership

Good for Westerville Takes Over as Christmas Parade Resumes

After a year without a Christmas parade, Westerville will bring back the tradition next Saturday, December 6, now under new leadership. Good for Westerville, a young 501(c)(4) service organization, has taken over the event after the Westerville Lions Club withdrew its parade permit application last year when it couldn't agree to the city’s proposal to merge the long-standing Christmas parade with the municipal Parade of Lights.

Last year’s breakdown left the community without a parade for the first time in decades. The Lions Club said a combined parade would have excluded religious participants and shortened the route to just a few blocks. The city stated the idea was merely a conversation, not a mandate, and discussions could have continued if the club wanted to move forward. By late fall, with no permit requested, the parade was removed from the calendar, and the Lions focused on their Winterfest event at the sports complex.

The cancellation caused confusion and frustration. Social media rumined with speculation, and conflicting explanations from the club and the city showed that the two sides were no longer in agreement. For many residents, losing a tradition that included everything from nativity floats to high-school musicians through Uptown felt like more than just a scheduling problem. It felt like something had gone wrong.

Good for Westerville was not yet a formal organization when the parade fell apart. A handful of volunteers was just starting to meet, exchanging ideas about how they could support nonprofits and foster community bonds. Restoring a historic parade was never part of their plans.

“That night we were meeting, your story came out,” said Luke Brooks, the group’s president, during an interview. “People were upset, like everybody else. But at that point, we were still just talking about our mission, not taking on the parade.”

Months later, the conversation shifted. City leaders, longtime sponsors, and community members began asking who might take over the parade moving forward. The Lions had redirected their focus to Winterfest on Sunday. Other organizations declined, citing the heavy workload. That left a vacancy, and Brooks found himself calling event chair Rhi Bailey with a question he worried might sound reckless.

“I told her I thought we could do it,” Brooks said. “And then I immediately felt guilty for saying it.”

Bailey didn’t hesitate. “I said yes right away. What an honor to bring something back to the community.”

Because the organization had no history with the parade, they approached it as both a revival and a reset. Bailey pushed early to move the event from its traditional Sunday afternoon slot to Saturday morning. That change created a full weekend plan: the city’s tree lighting on Friday, the parade on Saturday, and Winterfest and the Rudolph Run on Sunday.

“We wanted Westerville to become the place families come for the whole weekend,” Bailey said. “A real destination.”

The new schedule also benefits Uptown businesses. Merchants told organizers that a Sunday afternoon parade reduced holiday traffic. Starting on Saturday morning means the parade ends just as shops open.

Other initiatives are designed to connect generations. Free hot chocolate stations, music on River Radio, a post-parade Santa visit at CoHatch, and character meet-and-greets at North High Brewing aim to give families more reasons to stay longer. The group will provide both QR-code tools and paper maps to accommodate different comfort levels.

“We want people taking pictures, making memories, or just standing in the street listening to Christmas music,” Bailey said. “It should feel like a Hallmark movie.”

The route will go from St. Paul the Apostle on the north end straight down State Street to Walnut. This keeps the parade in Uptown but shortens the walking distance for dancers and younger participants during what can be a cold time of year. Organizers expect church groups, dance companies, school performers, and Santa to return strongly, with Council President Mike Heyeck serving as Grand Marshal.

Behind the scenes, the work has been extensive. The group is covering the costs of police, security, and street closures, relying on sponsorships at three levels: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Volunteers are wearing donated red crew-neck sweatshirts to stay visible in the crowd. The planning team has also kept a list of ideas they hope to implement in future years once they have more time.

“We’re learning as we go, and we’re having fun doing it,” Brooks said. “This year is step one. We want something the community can grow with.”

A parade with roots extending over fifty years faced a yearlong pause that made people question if the tradition would continue. This weekend provides the answer.

The Westerville News is a reader-supported publication by Gary Gardiner, a lifelong journalist who believes hyper-local reporting is the future of news. This publication focuses exclusively on Westerville—its local news, influence on Central Ohio, and how surrounding areas shape the community.

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