Cape & Islands News

A chilly but clear day for Falmouth's 46th Annual Christmas Parade Sunday

Mother Nature cooperates on Falmouth's biggest day of the holiday season

   The Bank of Woods Hole stuck to its seafaring roots with a float decorated like an old ship.

Story and photos by Samantha Pearsall

With hints of the Cape’s first snowfall of Saturday night still lingering on the ground Sunday morning, everyone knew it would be a chilly day for the parade. Yet the below-40 degree temps and a gusty winds didn’t stop thousands from gathering along the route of the 46th Annual Falmouth Christmas Parade. For nearly one hour, everyone watched as 33 floats, 16 walking groups, and 12 different bands entertained from the Falmouth Mall down Main Street to the Village Green. This year’s theme had an international flair, “Christmas and Winter Holidays Around the World.” The Falmouth Christmas Parade is the largest in southeastern Massachusetts and draws parade participants and onlookers from near and far every year.

   “Merry Christmas” from the Falmouth High School Art Honor Society. These talented artists took the parade theme to a whole new level with a giant dragon and lotus flower costumes in celebration of Chinese New Year.

   The Falmouth Soccer Club made its debut parade appearance this year with about 30 soccer players from elementary school to high school, many wearing international soccer jerseys of the likes of Messi and Raul. The athletes juggled, dribbled, and showed off their skills along the route. One soccer standout, Jack Pearsall (below), even got a hug from Elmo.

   Jack Pearsall pauses for a hug with Elmo.

   Donning their Christmas costumes, the New England Ballet Theatre, danced their way down Main Street with a constant routine lasting eight minutes. Here, they practiced their routine to stay warm while waiting in the Falmouth Mall parking lot just before the parade began.

   There were dozens of parade watching pups yesterday too. They were dressed festively and enjoying the entertainment.

   Another Christmas-clad canine watches the parade.

   Falmouth Academy certainly went with this year’s theme and created a colorful float and costumes representing many different countries.

   What’s a parade without clowns? The Allepo Clowns mingled in the crowds and then would jump aboard their clown train en route.

   As they dress and get situated on their float, the cast of The Best Christmas Pageant  ever rest their vocal cords for a moment as they chow down a few chocolate chip cookies before the parade begins.

   A Relay for Life Float is decorated with the theme “Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back” while a Rottweiler pup waits patiently from the driver’s seat of the float.

   Looking quite angelic, the Bayada Nurses decorated the company’s red VW Bug in similar garb complete with its own halo. They also played on the international theme wearing sashes with different country names.