The 75th Annual Holiday Parade, presented by the Chillicothe Area Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Sonoco & HyVee, will boast the festive theme of “Recipe for a Merry Christmas” on Saturday, November 20, 2021 beginning at 10 am in downtown Chillicothe.
“It is going to be a great parade for our 75th year,” stated Crystal Narr, Executive Director of the Chillicothe Area Chamber of Commerce. “This year’s theme is fun and we have a great number of entries that have already been submitted.”
“We received nearly thirty nominations for the honor of Holiday Parade Grand Marshal this year,” stated Narr. “We are excited to announce that this year’s parade will be led by our community’s long-time baker & business owner, Francine Davenport.
We are so happy to be honoring her this year.” according to Narr.
As a self-taught pastry decorator, Francine has provided sweet treats for family & friends for over fifty years. In November of 1994, she opened up Francine’s Pastry Parlor as both a woman-owned & Meskwaki American Indian-owned business. Since its start, she has served the community well by offering classes at the Grand River Technical School & to 4-H clubs, participating in Partners in Education, Chillicothe Young Farm Wives, Beta Sigma Phi, and served as Scout Leader, Camp Rainbow volunteer, Sunday School teacher and has led community service projects. Over her twenty-seven years in business, Francine has received numerous awards including winning entries at the Missouri State Fair, Outstanding Soy Promoter of the Year, names as one of the “Baker’s Dozen Outstanding Bakeries” by Midwest Living Magazine, and a special feature in the Missouri Ruralist.
Francine is married to Dwaine, her right-hand man, and has three children; Christy Regan, Aaron Skinner & Brian Davenport; and four grandchildren, Josie, Ethan, and Noah Skinner & Dylan Davenport.
Francine said that she shed tears of joy and humility when notified of being selected as grand marshal. She views it as one of the highlights of her life’s journey, is incredibly honored, and looks forward to seeing all of the faces that make up the community she loves on parade day.
The parade will begin at 10:00 am on Saturday, November 20th, and will include floats and entries from many different organizations, youth groups, churches, businesses, and individuals throughout Chillicothe. Many bands or musical groups from around the area will also be involved as a part of the parade, including the Chillicothe High School Marching Hornets and the Chillicothe Middle School 7th grade and 8th-grade bands.
Sluggerrr, the official mascot of the Kansas City Royals, sponsored by Chillicothe Pepsi Cola Bottling Company, will again be a part of the Chillicothe parade. KC Wolf, the official mascot of the Kansas City Chiefs, sponsored by Trenton Coca-Cola Bottling will also make a return visit to the Holiday Parade.
“As always, we are so thankful for our overall parade and special entry sponsors – they truly make this event possible for our community,” states Narr.
Parade judging will take place during the parade, with the announcement of the winners to follow on Saturday afternoon. Entries will be judged in the following categories: Business entries, Non-Profit Group or Organization entries, and Youth Organization entries.
Late entries for the parade will be accepted through this Friday, November 12, 2021. Letters detailing parade number and lot location will be e-mailed before the parade to those who have entered. Please remember all online entry forms must be fully completed, including contact information and a description of what is to be announced about the entry during the parade.
Online forms are available at this link.
For more information contact the Chamber 660-646-4050 or [email protected]
