Appleton's Christmas parade to proceed, with procession 'dedicated to the Waukesha community'

APPLETON - The city’s downtown Christmas parade will go on as planned Tuesday night, but will be preceded by a silent procession "dedicated to the Waukesha community," Appleton Mayor Jake Woodford said.

The announcement came less than a day after a vehicle drove through barricades in downtown Waukesha shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday and plowed into that city's annual Christmas parade, killing five people and injuring at least 48 others, authorities said.

“We stand firmly with our friends in Waukesha as they mourn the tragedy in their community,” Woodford said Monday. “We’re preparing actively to make sure we have a safe and enjoyable event.”

Appleton's downtown Christmas parade — in its 50th year this year— was canceled last year as a result of the pandemic. The parade is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Tuesday and move east on College Avenue from State Street to Drew Street.

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The decision to proceed with the parade in the wake of the incident in Waukesha was made with "careful consideration," Woodford said. Parade-goers should expect to see a law enforcement presence in the form of personnel and vehicles.

The safety of all involved in the parade — attendees, participants and volunteers — is the top priority for organizers, said Corey Otis, who serves as chair of the Parade Committee.

"We have full confidence that this will be a safe event tomorrow," Otis said.

But, it's up to each person to decide whether they feel comfortable enough to attend the parade. "That's an individual decision," he said. "If people don't feel comfortable coming down, it will be televised."

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Appleton Assistant Police Chief Polly Olson said the city's plans for parades and other large events, such as Octoberfest, are already "very robust," but were reviewed again Monday in the wake of events in Waukesha. The law enforcement presence along the parade route will be similar to past years.

"We take a lot of pride in our ability to keep people safe," Olson said. "That hasn't changed."

Other cities have also decided to hold their holiday parades as planned, including Manitowoc and Two Rivers.

Appleton parade schedule

• 4:30 p.m.: State Street closes between College Avenue and Sixth Street. Staging area is closed to all traffic other than parade participants and local residents and businesses.

• 5 p.m.: Lawrence Street from Memorial Avenue to Superior Street becomes an eastbound one-way only street.

• 5:40 p.m.: Traffic shuts down on College Avenue between Richmond Street and Lawe Street.

• 6 p.m. Traffic crossing Drew Street is shut down, but will still be able to travel north at College Avenue and Morrison Street and south at College Avenue and Durkee Street.

• 6:30 p.m.: All cross-traffic along College Avenue is shut down. Traffic heading north and south will still be able to use Richmond Street and Lawe Street.

Contact Chris Mueller at 920-996-7267 or cmueller@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AtChrisMueller.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Appleton Christmas parade still on, with silent procession for Waukesha