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Grafton Christmas parade rolls through downtown
The village of Grafton's Christmas parade returned for its 45th year on Saturday, a week late due to last weekend's winter storm.
GRAFTON, Wis. - The village of Grafton's Christmas parade returned for its 45th year on Saturday. It was supposed to happen a week ago, but organizers refused to let last weekend's winter storm dampen the holiday spirit.
Spreading cheer
What they're saying:
The sounds of the season were in full effect as families lined downtown streets and welcomed iconic Christmas characters one by one.
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"This definitely starts the holidays off right, with St. Nick coming and Christmas is coming," said parade-goer Julie Olson. "It’s more for the kids but everybody is happy, in a great mood, and everyone is always willing to give."
John Kuhn rides in 2025 Grafton Christmas parade
Former Green Bay Packers fullback and Super Bowl XLV champion John Kuhn was there to help spread Christmas cheer, too.
"I’m a big Christmas guy – I love the spirit, I love the energy," said Kuhn. "You got elves over there on the side having fun, it’s just too much fun."
Parade plans
The backstory:
That fun almost didn't happen, but with the snow pushed to the side, the parade's 125-plus units made the mile-long cruise down Washington Street toward Wisconsin Avenue.
"It’s been a rough and busy week," said Elizabeth Mueller, executive director of the Grafton Chamber of Commerce.
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2025 Grafton Christmas parade
Mueller said the village couldn't cancel what she called the largest Christmas parade in southeast Wisconsin.
"I think what I like to see the most are the smiles – whether it comes from the adults or the kids," she said. "We have volunteers that help us out immensely, and we could not do without them, so it’s great to see that community interaction."
What's next:
Organizers said planning for next year's parade starts as early as New Year's Day.
Grafton winter parking ticket food donation option to help community
The Grafton Police Department will let winter parking ticket recipients pay the fine through food donations for a few weeks to help Family Sharing.
The Source: FOX6 News interviewed the subjects featured in this story and referenced information from the village of Grafton.