Crowds of local residents braved the cold and lined up along Wallkill Winning Way on Nov. 30 to watch the annual town of Wallkill holiday parade.

Some brought folding chairs and blankets, while others watched from the trunks of their cars, and some stood by the curb, waving as the procession went by.

“We had more people than last year, and they enjoyed it,” Wallkill Supervisor George Serrano, whose office organized the parade, told The Epoch Times.

“I want to thank everyone who has come out and joined us, and I wish everyone a happy holiday.”

Leading the parade was a car-pulled jail cell holding the Grinch so he couldn’t carry out all his plans to spoil Christmas.

Then came youth groups and educational organizations, such as the local girls’ club, the Circleville chapter of American Heritage Girls, and Northern Academy, as well as local businesses and nonprofit participants, including Pets Alive, an animal rescue based in Middletown.

Vicki Mastronardi, a longtime volunteer for Pets Alive, said the parade not only brought about holiday joy but also spread a message of community service.

“Whatever you can give—time, money, effort—nothing is too little,” Mastronardi told The Epoch Times. “Whatever you can give is always a good thing.”

A big part of the parade was a long line of decorated engines and trucks from seven volunteer fire departments that serve the growing town: Bloomingburg, Circleville, Howells, Mechanicstown, Pocatello, Silver Lake, and Washington Heights.

Holiday parade and tree lighting ceremony in the town of Wallkill, N.Y., on Nov. 30, 2024. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)

At the end of the procession was a holiday-themed float with people dressed up in Santa Claus costumes, which was sponsored by Dogwood Acres Family Farm.

The family farm also donated the decorated Christmas tree near Galleria Drive, which was lit in front of a large crowd following the parade’s conclusion.

“It is something we do every year, and it always feels good to give back to the town,” Steve Wagner, owner of the family farm, told The Epoch Times.

A highlight of the event was a drone show, with about 100 drones carrying colorful lights forming various holiday-themed patterns and messages in the night sky above the Christmas tree in front of a wowed crowd.

Craig Speckenbach, a Minisink resident, said his favorite part of the night was the holiday dance by the Artistic Dance Connection company, of which his teenage daughter was a part.

This is the third year the Middletown-based dance company has joined the holiday event.

The annual parade and tree lighting ceremony have been held in town for about a decade.

Holiday parade and tree lighting ceremony in the town of Wallkill, N.Y., on Nov. 30, 2024. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)

In addition to the returning participants, the event welcomed new ones, such as the Falun Gong Club of Orange County, whose members include many families from overseas who recently settled into the area, according to the club’s parade coordinator, Louie Russo.

“We are so happy to be part of a very big holiday celebration and to come and show our best and be welcomed as part of the community,” Russo told The Epoch Times.

Joe Nieves, pastor of the Middletown-based Transformation Church, reminded attendees at the holiday event about the origin of Christmas and the power of faith.

“As a little boy growing up in the Bronx, my father had this tradition that I hated. Before we opened gifts, he made us read the Christmas story. Do you know how difficult that was as a little boy wanting to dive into the gifts?” Nieves told the crowd.

“I just want to remind you, before we light this tree, to remember the reason for the season and to keep Christ in your Christmas,” he said before offering a brief prayer.

State- and county-level officials who attended the event include Assemblywoman-elect Paula Kay, Orange County Judge Craig Brown, County Clerk Kelly Eskew, and Orange County legislators Mike Paduch, Robert Sassi, and Janet Sutherland.

Town officials present included councilmen Eric Valentin and Mark Coyne, clerk Louisa Ingrassia, tax receiver Linda Harahan, and public works commissioner Lou Ingrassia.

Holiday parade and tree lighting ceremony in the town of Wallkill, N.Y., on Nov. 30, 2024. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)

Holiday parade and tree lighting ceremony in the town of Wallkill, N.Y., on Nov. 30, 2024. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)

Holiday parade and tree lighting ceremony in the town of Wallkill, N.Y., on Nov. 30, 2024. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)

Holiday parade and tree lighting ceremony in the town of Wallkill, N.Y., on Nov. 30, 2024. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)

Holiday parade and tree lighting ceremony in the town of Wallkill, N.Y., on Nov. 30, 2024. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)

Holiday parade and tree lighting ceremony in the town of Wallkill, N.Y., on Nov. 30, 2024. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)

Holiday parade and tree lighting ceremony in the town of Wallkill, N.Y., on Nov. 30, 2024. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)

Holiday parade and tree lighting ceremony in the town of Wallkill, N.Y., on Nov. 30, 2024. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)

Holiday parade and tree lighting ceremony in the town of Wallkill, N.Y., on Nov. 30, 2024. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)

Pastor Joe Nieves speaks during the holiday parade and tree lighting ceremony in the town of Wallkill, N.Y., on Nov. 30, 2024. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)