Santa & Mrs. Claus to tour town as they did during pandemic
By GREGG MONTGOMERY
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
The annual Noblesville Christmas Parade, put on pause in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, won’t return, the city government told News 8 on Wednesday.
Emily Gaylord, communications director for the city government, told News 8 by email, “The City will continue the Santa Tour in lieu of the Christmas Parade. The Santa Tour has proved to be successful as we are able to reach more people in our community.”
The 41st annual Noblesville Christmas Parade on Dec. 1, 2019, was the city’s last. The event would attract nonprofits, which were allowed to enter the parade at no cost, and businesses and other organizations, which paid a $10 fee to enter the parade.
The city canceled the parade in 2020 due to the pandemic and replaced it with the Home for the Holidays Tour featuring Santa Claus. Police, fire and street department vehicles carried Santa into select city neighborhoods. That continued in 2021, with five parade dates on Saturday and Sundays in the first two weekends of December.
Mayor Chris Jensen in a 2021 news release touted the return of the holidays tour for a second year. “The pandemic made us be creative and shift our plans to keep the holiday spirit alive. What we saw were larger crowds of enthusiastic residents that really enjoyed the new format. Because of the numbers we saw, and the ability to thank our first responders and essential city workers, I decided to have the neighborhood tour once again this year.”
Where and when are they to be
They’ll more than likely announce that in December around Christmas time.
The article doesn’t cite a reason for not having the parade. It would be nice to know the rationale behind this decision.
Omg. Of course people were excited because that was “the way of life” at that time. Of course they loved it. That is really all that was possible. Duh. The pandemic made us think that way. Now that it’s over…go back to our Noblesville traditions.
Come on, man. .
Well that’s sad and plain awful. Seems like the mayor just keeps making poor decisions to justify his own schedule. His plans in general have ruined staple things and memories made at different places.
When will the tour(s) be?
All I can say is this is totally b******* his stupid sanitore does not go in every neighborhood so some kids don’t even get the pleasure of it which is ridiculous what the hell has happened to Noblesville
How sad! When my mom organized the Christmas parade it was a labor of love. She loved seeing how excited the kids watching the parade. It’s a shame they cant do both
That’s bull, ask the community for input if they want the parade.
Yet another Noblesville tradition flushed down the toilet. *smh…
We prefer the Christmas parade!
It is BULL
Add millions to the budget, but cancel the 40+ year holiday tradition. Sounds logical…. I mean if building projects are more important and all.
I’m remembering who Jensen endorsed this year and then voting him out in 23′.
Wow u build and try to act like carmel and fishers ,,now u say no to a parade that been part of all my kids life and my grandbaby for what please explain we want this to continue
Sounds like Jensen is the Grinch. First he takes away our town’s Dairy Queen and firehouse pizza now he steals away the Christmas parade.
The only neighborhoods visited will be those of $200K and up. But the rest of the population will be skipped. As usual. Just keep paying you taxes at the rate of $1.10 per $100 of valuation (Fishers is only $0.70 per $100 valuation by compairison), and that extra $25 for every vehicle registered in the City of Noblesville like a good drone, as we are ‘overlooked’ for things like street sweeping, noise reduction from trucking….
Your mayor is ruining your town. It’s turning into Carmel/Fishers. It’s so sad to see a tradition taken away. I’m so glad I don’t live there, although my son and family do. I visit frequently and can’t believe how much build up there. It’s so sad to see Pleasant street now. Your older homes make me feel welcomed.
Jensen is a joke. Only cares about his agenda, not the people in the community. Why not just add the Santa tour to the traditional parade? Make your vote count, we need new leadership that can balance old town feel and forward thinking without destroying the past.
Just pathetic but they can build all these condos and things we don’t need in Noblesville! I think the mayor of Noblesville needs to go taking away a family tradition for a lot of families I’m so glad I moved out of this town it has become a town I never want to come back to
Remember this when you’re voting!! Jensen needs to go.
VOTE JENSEN OUT!!!
Yes!!!!
Eliminating the annual Christmas parade takes away a valued family tradition that helps preserve the small town feel of Noblesville. It is those traditions that help preserve the social and cultural fabric of a community. It is not the same to have Santa take a tour through select neighborhoods.
I don’t even live there and it’s bull…. Just wanted to remove the word CHRISTMAS. YOUR A JERK Jensen.
The Mayor is a JOKE got this town all messed up
Can’t wait to get the hell out of here
How sad the Mayor has decided to quit a tradition that has happened in Noblesville for many, many years!! You just dont get it Mayor!! People rather have traditions carry on especially around the holidays in their home town. Something they can pass down to generations. Sounds like all you see are numbers.$$ shame on you!!
can’t wait to vote this fool out.he acts like biden doing what he wants, not what is good for the city or the families that live here. will the tour come outside the city?
I have lived here since 2005 and really enjoy Noblesville. I have four kids. I did not know we had a Christmas parade until reading this. Sorry for those who will miss it.
Taking away the Christmas Parade! What’s next! This has been a family tradition since I was a little girl. It is so sad to see what Noblesville is becoming. All these condos going up…ruining our small little town. Big is not always better! We need to keep our old traditions and keep our town of Noblesville small and quaint ❤️
Yes Jensen needs to go. He is destroying all of our traditions. We have all enjoyed our Christmas Parades all of our lives and he takes it away. So sad. A stranger to our town and destroying all of our traditions. Let’s get rid of him.
Another “Woke” policy to do away with any American tradition. I would say that getting the word “Christmas “ out of it was one of the main objectives. Stop trying to be on the same level as Fishers and Carmel. It is not working.
How sad is that? Was the community included in this choice or did the Mayor make an executive decision on his own?
My family loves the Christmas Parade, it gives the kids something to look forward to!Shame on you mayor Jensen!
I was born and raised in Noblesville. What used to be a beautiful small hometown, is no more. The west side of town is tore up, traffic is backed up all the time. I can’t see that the round about is going to help at all, the traffic in the roundabout will be backed up because of the lights. Downtown apartments that are horribably expensive. Yes they offer amenities that is great, but poor people can’t afford them. Noblesville seems to be wanting to be like Carmel & Fishers and cater to the rich. Why doesn’t the city try and cater to the not so fortunate people and build some apartments they can afford. The whole thing of building another outlet from Noblesville is great but people lost there homes business owners lost there business. I have yet to see how any of this is helping anything. Then take away the Christmas Parade and take Santa & Mrs Claus to different neighborhoods. That will probably only include the rich neighborhoods.
I totally agree!!!
First, thank you to our first responders! Second, I’m sure it will cost the city a lot more to run all of those vehicles multiple times vs a single hour-long parade. Last, shame on you Mayor for removing the businesses and organizations from an event that provides more recognition for them than any other event in town at a time of year when they need it the most. Call it “holiday” to remain PC but in this town it will always be Christmas!
This decision deserves the position of pooper scooper behind the horse patrol in the Christmas parade. Visit Santa on the Courthouse Square – oh, wait – has that tradition also been eliminated in the name of change?
So nice to see Jensen make another unilateral move to destroy a Noblesville tradition without any input from its citizens! Similar to changing our city logo, removing the most iconic image of Noblesville, our courthouse. Please, please somebody step up in 2023 and primary challenge this buffoon.
I was in this parade when I was a little girl and continued to go see it with my kids. It’s just sad that one idiotic politician is taking away something that made the holiday season so special in Noblesville. Thank God we moved out of that wanna be Carmel town years ago.
Noblesville people get a permit and have your own Christmas Parade. Sounds like Jensen is Joe Biden Jr. VOTE JENSEN OUT.
Christmas is for Kids, not Kings.
I would rather have a parade because that’s a wonderful time to make memories with kids and grandkids. Come now
This is ridiculous. We never saw this supposed Santa tour…oh yes, I forgot, we aren’t in an exclusive area with $500,000 new homes. Guess our families can’t contribute big bucks so, “oh well.” Came from Chicago and fought this type of thing from mayors and precinct captains all the time. Had hoped coming to Noblesville would provide a different, more caring government, which we had for a time. It’s become a big business now…big apartment/condos, crazy parking restrictions, bowing to big businesses while giving major tax breaks. Wow – must be back in Chicago! But we shouldn’t run away from the ones in charge – we need to vote to change who is in charge. We want to let them know that there must be input by the residents and small businesses who have a greater stake in our community. Voting is a major problem – or rather lack of voting. The people who have worked and supported Noblesville all these years are looking to our younger folks to step up now. Bring your best and brightest to the front and give us a better choice in elections. Those who bring up the Democrats have to remember that the Republicans have been in charge here forever and bringing in fresh blood.
It seems this administration is bent on destroying anything nostalgic in Noblesville. I’m in the county and unable to vote for city offices, but you all can stand together and vote Sir Jensen out. Please make sure the next will not do the same. The downtown merchants stood together and kept them from destroying the downtown. Do not let him ruin the Christmas parade. Get the permit and have it anyway!
Cicero has a wonderful Christmas Parade every year. Come to ours. So sad that yours is cancelled.
What do people expect? Vote year after year for the same Republican machine. Money and power fuel that machine. Sounds like a definition of insanity- vote the same thing over and over and expect a different result.
So Noblesville family what are we going to do about this???? Obviously we plan to vote Jensen out, however in the interim what do we do to make our voices heard? Protest at the mayors office downtown? Can we recall a mayor? Everyone call the mayor’s office. 317-776-6324. It’s time we stand up for our community and our traditions . I’ve lived here all my life and seen a lot of changes both good and bad. Can we still just keep the traditions of a small town feel. Come on Chris! I voted or you, you went to school with my kids You have lost my respect and my vote if you allow this to happen!
Chris, if you didn’t like your home town, why didn’t you MOVE AWAY?? Oh, that’s right! Ruining Noblesville for the rest of us has made you a very rich man. You make me sick.
I just want to know why you alone are allowed to decide on something like this? Why don’t you reconsider and put someone else in charge of taking votes from the residents of Noblesville and mail the votes to the city hall by a certain deadline and put this Parade together if enough residents vote for it.
Not a good idea at all. You are getting some bad advice, Mayor Jensen.
Jenson, prefers to tear down homes and businesses. Build all these expensive apartments that people can’t afford, and they aren’t even getting businesses in the spaces. Don’t forget the lights on Logan street bridge. The darn spotlights are blinding, the rail lights have been off for months, but the spotlights are still blinding as you cross the bridge. Oh, how about the lavender lighting underneath the bridge. Was that really needed? Also, the plants and items on the Bridge, who’s paying for the upkeep of the plants. Now, when the snow plows start throwing the salted snow on the plants that will be the end of them. It seems like you can’t travel within a mile of downtown Noblesville, without there being roads being torn up, repaving or roundabouts. The houses and bushes torn down for the pleasant street project is heartbreaking. Taking the houses and businesses without paying them enough to relocate is pathetic. By the time, the mayor Jenson gets done ruining Noblesville, we won’t need all the businesses and apartments because the businesses downtown will be closed, the new 2 hour parking in a 24 hour period is driving their customers away. Help keep Noblesville thriving, stop destroying own town. Noblesville has lost the Train, due to lies! Now, the Christmas Parade, Dairy Queen just to name a few!