The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, now in its 100th year (and 98th parade overall), is expected to draw as many as 50+ million viewers on television and online.
For generations, Columbus had its own holiday parade, a cherished tradition that faded decades ago, prompting one resident to ask, “Why did Columbus get rid of the Thanksgiving parade?”
The history of holiday parades in Columbus spans two distinct eras. The first began with the Christmas shopping season at the Lazarus Department Store.
In its prime, Lazarus was a favorite holiday destination. Visitors marveled at elaborate window displays, while children flocked to the sixth floor’s Santaland — a winter wonderland complete with a talking Christmas tree, a toy workshop, and Santa Claus himself.
The season officially began with the Lazarus Santa Claus Parade, which featured a five-mile route from North Broadway to the store downtown.
The first parade, held on Friday, Dec. 1, 1922, included Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts marching before escorting Santa Claus to the store at High and Town streets. Over the years, the event grew into an annual tradition, eventually moving to the first Sunday after Thanksgiving.
By the 1950s and ’60s, the parade featured as many as 10 marching bands, dozens of floats, and appearances by popular Disney characters, drawing thousands of spectators along the route.
The Lazarus parade ended in 1973 when the company announced its cancellation. Reasons cited by a spokesperson in The Columbus Dispatch included competition from televised Thanksgiving parades, persistent bad weather on parade day, and a shift in focus to in-store entertainment.
While the parade ceased, Santaland remained a beloved feature of the holiday season at Lazarus for two more decades.
The second era of Columbus holiday parades began in 1981, when the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce launched the Secret Santa Parade. Featuring helium balloons, floats, marching bands, and “elves” collecting donations for the Secret Santa charity drive, the parade drew an estimated 200,000 spectators on its debut.
The event later moved to the Sunday before Thanksgiving and became known as The Holiday Parade. It remained popular until 1993, when funding challenges led to its cancellation.
Efforts to revive a holiday parade in 2001 as part of downtown revitalization tied to City Center Mall never materialized, leaving Columbus without a parade tradition to this day.