The Saint Louis Christmas parade has been bringing the community together for the holidays since the late 1990’s. Prior to the parade, Saint Louis hosted an event with Santa coming to town. The Small Town Family Christmas Parade took over after this. 

The parade hosted this year was Dec. 1, 2022, and had over 40 entries including some vehicle groups as well as walkers. This parade continues to grow each year. 

Downtown Development Authority Director for the City of Saint Louis said, “The event benefits the community in a variety of ways.  Obviously, it is a big ‘plus’ for little kids and their families most of all.  Kids love seeing the parade and of course getting to sit with Santa for a few minutes, get a small gift, etc. In addition, it brings all facets of the community together.  Parade entries include businesses, churches, schools, city departments (police, fire, public works, etc.), service groups and even things from other communities nearby.  We feel like it is well organized and fun, and many of the participants come back year after year to be in the parade showing support for St. Louis.” 

The high school played a big role in the parade as it served as the reception space in the cafeteria for children to meet with Santa. Many students also participated in the parade including the woodshop students giving out toys that they made and the Saint Louis drumline. 

Junior Ben March  who participated in the Saint Louis Fire Department float said, “I thought it was really nice to see the community get together and put out a bunch of floats. I liked the Saint Louis humvee. It was a great opportunity for our entire family to do something together. My mom was very excited to use the horn utilizing a foot pedal on the ground. Also the smoke machine that we had on the fire truck was really cool.” 

The Saint Louis Family Christmas parade is a link between the small town businesses andthe community, both of which create stronger bonds for the town.