Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade

Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade The Chesapeake Rotary Club is the sponsoring organization for the City's 40+ year traditional Christmas parade.
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Welcome to the Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade! We are a Parade for all of Chesapeake -- and remain dedicated to our "small town" parade atmosphere. Each year, the Club reviews nearly 150 applications for floats, bands, equestrian and other animal groups, and performance groups for selection to fill a limited number of positions in the one-hour parade. Rain or shine (or snow!), the Parade gets

underway on the first Saturday each December. What is now the Chesapeake Christmas Parade began over 40 years ago with the Great Bridge Jaycees organization. For many of those years, local citizen Renee Leftwich volunteered to organize the event. In 2010, with declining Jaycee membership, two of our Rotary Club’s Past Presidents, Ray Conner and David Hanson, worked with the City Manager and the remaining Jaycees for the Chesapeake Rotary Club to assume the roles of lead Sponsor and Organizer of the annual event. The parade name officially changed to the Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade in 2010. Rotarians Will Langford and Anthony Draper set to work creating the Parade in its present format. On December 4th, 2010, the inaugural Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade marched through downtown Great Bridge before over 5,000 spectators -- and was even blessed with a little snow. Our Club received newspaper, radio, and television coverage for taking-over the task of organizing the event. The Parade was broadcast live on WCTV, and rebroadcast nearly daily throughout the remainder of the holiday season on COX 48; it remains available as an archived broadcast at WCTV’s website. WCTV will be the broadcast the 2022 Parade --- an event that now attracts an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 spectators and participants to Great Bridge. Rotarian Dianne Copeland Adcock joined Anthony Draper and Mike Love in planning the annual Parade in 2012. A tour de force in the local dance and parade community -- and at Disney World -- Dianne remained involved in planning our Parade until her untimely passing in May 2020. In the absence of Dianne and due to then-ongoing COVID social distancing restrictions, Chesapeake Rotary made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 parade. The 2021 Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade was co-chaired by Rotarians Lindsey Riddle Elliott and Anthony Draper with the assistance of Shirley Turner (Dianne Adcock’s daughter, and recent addition to the Chesapeake Rotary family). Lindsey and Shirley co-chair our 2022 Parade, with assistance from first-year Rotarian Paul Tatum. Chesapeake Rotary adopted this event as a fundraiser for our Chesapeake Rotary Foundation. The Chesapeake Rotary Foundation provides grants to individuals and organizations involved in service projects that benefit our Chesapeake residents (an application is available at our Chesapeake Rotary website). We attribute much of our Parade's success to Chesapeake Regional, which has been the presenting sponsor of the Parade since 2013. We are extremely appreciative for having Chesapeake Regional Healthcare as a Parade partner. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, December 3rd, 2022! See more at: http://www.chesapeakechristmasparade.com

EXCITING NEWS:  Announcing the inaugural Holly Jolly Jog!!  Ever wanted to race your friends, family and neighbors down ...
09/27/2024

EXCITING NEWS: Announcing the inaugural Holly Jolly Jog!! Ever wanted to race your friends, family and neighbors down Battlefield Blvd? Well, a new, family-friendly, 1-mile fun run and race before the Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade will give you the chance to do exactly that. 30 minutes before the start of the Christmas parade, lace up and run, jog, or walk the route - under the lights - while being cheered on by thousands of your Chesapeake friends and family. Add to the festivities with Christmas lights, pjs, ugly sweaters and costumes. Single participants are $25 (T-shirt included) and families up to 8 are $50. Register here:

Ever wanted to race your friends, family and neighbors down Battlefield Blvd? Well, a new, family-friendly, 1 mile fun run and race before the Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade will give you the chance to do exactly that. 30 minutes before the start...

It's CHRISTMAS IN JULY for the 41st Annual Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade.   This year's theme, The Magic of Christm...
07/01/2024

It's CHRISTMAS IN JULY for the 41st Annual Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade. This year's theme, The Magic of Christmas, will definitely showcase the creativity and talent for our participants. Applications are now open at our website linked below.

The parade begins at Mt. Pleasant Rd. and Battlefield Blvd. and ends in front of City Hall on Cedar Rd. Most roads will start closing by 4:15 p.m. in and around this parade. For easiest parking and great views, come down to the Municipal Complex.  There will also be food vendors and portable bathro...

From our friends at Chesapeake Television, please enjoy a replay of the parade if you weren't able to attend.
12/05/2023

From our friends at Chesapeake Television, please enjoy a replay of the parade if you weren't able to attend.

Experience the magic of this year’s Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade all over again! You can also see it on Chesapeake Television on Cox Channel 48, Verizo...

Thank you to the rest of our sponsors and participants.  100% of the net proceeds from the parade go right back into Che...
12/03/2023

Thank you to the rest of our sponsors and participants. 100% of the net proceeds from the parade go right back into Chesapeake charities. That is the mission of Chesapeake Rotary...Service Above Self. Tidewater Community College Mister Jim's, Southern Bank and Stanton Partners Inc. (Great Bridge Shopping Center).

What an amazing night!  We feel like this year brought out the best floats we've ever seen.  Tonight would not be possib...
12/03/2023

What an amazing night! We feel like this year brought out the best floats we've ever seen. Tonight would not be possible without our Presenting Sponsor Chesapeake Regional Healthcare. They definitely brought their A-game with the Lifesavers float.

Thank you to The Barrel Room for providing food for the Chesapeake Police Department.  They are also hosting an after-pa...
12/02/2023

Thank you to The Barrel Room for providing food for the Chesapeake Police Department. They are also hosting an after-parade party so please check them out!

The staging area is packed and we're getting ready for a fantastic night in Chesapeake.  Thanks to Hotrodders Cafe for f...
12/02/2023

The staging area is packed and we're getting ready for a fantastic night in Chesapeake. Thanks to Hotrodders Cafe for feeding our CERT volunteers.

There are handicap parking spots along the parade route in businesses and shopping centers, but the most accessible area...
12/02/2023

There are handicap parking spots along the parade route in businesses and shopping centers, but the most accessible area for parking and access is at City Hall. The parade will travel along the city hall access road with attendee areas on both sides.

Reviewing stand for tonight's Rotary Christmas Parade is ready to go!
12/02/2023

Reviewing stand for tonight's Rotary Christmas Parade is ready to go!

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor Chesapeake Regional  Healthcare!
12/02/2023

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor Chesapeake Regional Healthcare!

Good Morning on Parade Day!!  Look for videos and pics throughout the day as we prepare for the 40th Annual Chesapeake R...
12/02/2023

Good Morning on Parade Day!! Look for videos and pics throughout the day as we prepare for the 40th Annual Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade. To start us off, we want to acknowledge our most creative attendee for using an empty jet ski trailer as a parade placeholder. Come out and get in the Christmas spirit! Parade starts at 6 p.m.

Chesapeake Television is an amazing partner to the Parade.  See details below of how to view the parade if you aren't ab...
12/01/2023

Chesapeake Television is an amazing partner to the Parade. See details below of how to view the parade if you aren't able to attend in person.

Staying inside during the Christmas Rotary Parade on Saturday, December 2? Tune in to Chesapeake Television’s live broadcast at 6:00 p.m. on Cox Channel 48, Verizon Channel 43, or online at www.CityOfChesapeake.net/LiveFeed.

Just a few days until the 40th Annual Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade.  In preparation, here's a map of the parade ro...
11/29/2023

Just a few days until the 40th Annual Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade. In preparation, here's a map of the parade route and alternate routes to bypass the parade. Road closure times can be found at www.chesapeakechristmasparade.com.

10 days until the Chesapeake Rotary 40th annual Christmas Parade!
11/22/2023

10 days until the Chesapeake Rotary 40th annual Christmas Parade!

Only 10 Days until the 40th Annual Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade.  The parade route will be full with 135 participa...
11/22/2023

Only 10 Days until the 40th Annual Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade. The parade route will be full with 135 participants and plenty of sugar since the candy handout is BACK! Without our sponsors, participants and amazing volunteers, we wouldn't be able to continue this fantastic community tradition. Special thanks to Chesapeake Regional Healthcare Tidewater Community College Mister Jim's Southern Bank Stanton Partners Inc(Great Bridge Shopping Center) and our food sponsors feeding our First Responders The Barrel Room Hotrodders Cafe Chick-fil-A Edinburgh Commons And none of this would be possible without City of Chesapeake Government

13 days to the Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade!
11/19/2023

13 days to the Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade!

One of our sponsors is showing off their parade chairs! We feel like a challenge is brewing.  Let's see what you have pl...
11/16/2023

One of our sponsors is showing off their parade chairs! We feel like a challenge is brewing. Let's see what you have planned for the 40th Annual Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade. Casual Home Furniture

And so it begins for the 40th Annual Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade.  To ensure everyone has a chance to participate...
11/10/2023

And so it begins for the 40th Annual Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade. To ensure everyone has a chance to participate, parade registration has been extended through this weekend. The parade begins at 6:00 p.m. on Dec. 2. Find more details at www.chesapeakechristmasparade.com

10/31/2023

Honored to announce our 2023 Rotary Christmas Parade Grand Marshall will be our Sheriff Jim O'Sullivan!

2023 Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade is less than 6 months away!
06/05/2023

2023 Chesapeake Rotary Christmas Parade is less than 6 months away!

12/13/2022
Thank you “757 one -wheel community” for volunteering to carry our sponsor banners.  You helped keep the pace of the par...
12/04/2022

Thank you “757 one -wheel community” for volunteering to carry our sponsor banners. You helped keep the pace of the parade and made banner carrying a whole new line of entertainment. 😁 Roll on.

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306 Cedar Road
Chesapeake, VA
23322

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