Warm heart, cold hands for Rochester paradegoers

With the American Flag and The Lebanon Voice's Butterfingers Da Klown waving, Rochester's Holiday Parade marches through downtown.

ROCHESTER - Close to a thousand holiday revelers turned out for Rochester’s annual Holiday Parade on Sunday, and despite frigid temps and a blustery wind, enthusiastic crowds gave the procession a warm welcome indeed.

The parade began at Spaulding High and wended itself through the downtown before ending at The Rochester Commons.

Along the way large crowds on both sides of the street waved American flags and greeted floats and parade entrants with chants of “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Holidays.”

Meagan Wilson, far right, back, stands with other volunteers and her Strafford County YMCA afterschool group that helped decorate their bus for Sunday's parade.

Along with floats and bands, Rochester Police and Fire trucks, Milton Fire and Rescue and Lebanon Fire and Lebanon Rescue represented the area’s first responders.

The Lebanon Voice was also in attendance with Butterfingers Da Klown, who put on a classic traffic cop pantomime at the corner of North Main Street in front of Rochester District court directing parade traffic to ensure a mom and her two children made it across the street safely.

The theme of Sunday’s parade was “A Patriotic Christmas” and the floats and marching bands kept true to their marching orders.

All along the parade route, children held out hands, or bags, for candy. Some paradegoers huddled in warm cars or trucks along the sides of the street, while others braved the cold to get a better look, and a better chance at a candy cane or chocolate.

In the center of downtown a huge American flag waved proudly in the breeze near where Metrocast had set up their parade cameras for rebroadcast.

Alex Gaugreau, 11, left, and his sister Kayah Gaugreau, right, both of Somersworth, along with Hana Sakoda, 16, of Rochester get bundled up as they prepare to begin the parade in their Home Depot float. (Harrison Thorp photos)

The parade was organized by the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce and underwritten by Profile Bank.

The Best of the Parade award went to Maple Street Magnet School.

There were three categories for float awards: Youth, Organizational and Commercial.

For youth, first went to Gonic Elementary School, followed by William Allen School and Cub Scout Pack 237; for Organization Division, first went to Emmanuel Church, followed by Rochester American Legion, and Sole City Dance; and for commercial, first went to Studio 109, followed by First City Motor Sales, and H&R Block.