Alan Carman | The Imperial Republican
The float from Wolf Auto took the prize for overall champion at this years parade of lights. Brad Spady is seen here driving the float on the main street route Nov. 28.
Alan Carman | The Imperial Republican
The Imperial Volunteer Fire House was a busy place on the night of the Christmas Festival in Imperial. The hall was filled most of the night with people attending the pancake feed. Attendees got pancakes, sausage and a drink for a free will donation.
Alan Carman | The Imperial Republican
Santa and Mrs. Clause made an appearance at the end of the parade last Tuesday Nov. 28, riding on the front of one of Imperial Volunteer Fire Department’s trucks.
Chamber’s Christmas Festival start of the holiday festivities
Parade of Lights Featured 17 Floats
The Imperial Chamber of Commerce Christmas Festival for 2023 kicked off Tuesday afternoon. “Come Home for the Holidays” was this year’s chosen theme.
The festival of events started at 4 p.m. at the Imperial City Gym. Santa Claus was seated and received many kids who told him of their wishes to be placed under the tree Christmas Eve.
Amanda Keneipp of Imperial reported she had received 25 donations of cakes and pies for the cake walk. There were various games played in the gym to include a table for Christmas Bingo staffed by Becky Berry of Imperial and Marisa Kunnemann of Imperial helped kids with and collected Letters to Santa at her table. Arlys Cupp had the Latte Da truck outside. Jason Kimble with Night Sounds was set up inside the gym and played Christmas music that aired inside and outside on Broadway. A two horse drawn wagon took passengers around the parade route.
The Imperial Volunteer Fire Department hosted a pancake feed at the IVFD at 3rd and Broadway that began at 5 p.m. and ran to 6:30 p.m.
Beginning at 6:30 p.m., following the pancake supper, Broadway came alive with the sights and sounds of Christmas while the crowd gathered in anticipation of the “Parade of Lights.”
Check-in and staging of the floats was at 10th and Grant. The festival parade assembled 17 floats from the Imperial area. Doug Wright of Imperial came to the event with a Christmas light decorated John Deere tractor “As a last minute impromptu,” he said.
Kym Weiss of the Imperial Chamber of Commerce oversaw the float registration and entry. Three judges decided the winners of the floats entered. Mike Petko of Wolf Automotive in Imperial, Tammy Siverson of Rainbow Promise Preschool in Imperial, and Calvin Weiss of Weiss Chiropractors in Imperial made the selections.
First place winner went to Wolf Auto; second place went to Imperial Credit Union; and third place went to the Chase County Community Hospital.
The parade began at 10th and Grant and the official route began at the Imperial City Square at 8th and Broadway and ended at the IVFD at 3rd and Broadway. The Chase County Sheriff’s Office vehicle led the parade. An Imperial Fire Department truck followed, carrying Santa and Mrs Claus. An Imperial EMS ambulance was also present.