12/19/2024
“Parades and festivals don’t just bring economic benefits; they offer emotional, social, and civic value.” 👏👏👏👏👏
The holiday parade is always a special event, but maybe it shouldn’t be so special. Maybe the magic of that day isn’t something we should pack away until next year—maybe it’s a blueprint. What if we designed our towns around their best days instead of giving residents just one fleeting day to feel connected, joyful, and proud of their place?
Think about it. Everyone loves mingling in the streets, visiting local businesses, and feeling that sense of belonging. Parades and festivals don’t just bring economic benefits; they offer emotional, social, and civic value. If it works so well once a year, why not make it the norm?
Walking through a holiday parade recently, I couldn’t help but think of Bedford Falls, the fictional town from It’s a Wonderful Life. We all love Bedford Falls because it represents something so rare today—a place where people know each other, where they gather and share life. But while Bedford Falls feels magical to us now, it wasn’t actually unique. That kind of community and charm was once ordinary. It likely felt like a holiday parade all the time.
Today, we’ve traded in Martini’s Bar for Applebee’s and Bailey’s Building and Loan for Bank of America. Main Streets like Bedford Falls have been replaced with strip malls and parking lots. It’s no wonder we only feel the magic once a year—our places are no longer designed to bring us together.
Our Towns Should Feel Special All the Time
If the Holiday Parade is showing us anything, it’s that people are hungry for connection. Residents are showing us what they want—we just need to have the decency to listen.
So what would it look like if we took the lessons of the parade and applied them year-round?
• Let people walk in the streets. Close them off to cars more often and give the space back to pedestrians.
• Encourage stores to stay open late so downtowns feel alive in the evenings.
• Make public spaces festive and beautiful year-round—not just during the holidays. String lights, hang banners, plant flowers.
• Create opportunities for people to gather. Schedule small events, farmers’ markets, street performances, or block parties.
• Focus on people, not parking. Cars don’t create a sense of community—people do.
Residents don’t want much. They just want a little bit of space to come together and have fun. They want to walk, linger, laugh, and enjoy their town. That’s not too much to ask.
So city leaders, maybe this year you can grant your residents one Christmas wish: give them a place to be together again. Bring the magic of the Holiday Parade into everyday life. Let’s design our towns to feel special all the time, like a modern-day Bedford Falls.
We know it’s possible because we’ve all seen it—for one day a year. Why not make it every day.
