Applications for participants and sponsors earlier are now open for 2024 West Chester Christmas Parade, which will be held Friday, Dec. 6 with 6abc’s Adam Joseph and WMMR’s Kathy Romano returning as emcees. Voted “Best Local Parade” and “Best Family-Friendly Event” by readers of Main Line Today, the West Chester Christmas Parade title sponsored by Chester County Hospital attracts approximately 20,000 attendees of all ages.

The Christmas Parade is the highlight of a month full of holiday festivities and thousands of lights during Chester County Hospital Lights Up Holiday Weekends in West Chester. Chester County Hospital, which has been the title sponsor of the West Chester Christmas Parade for four years, has had a longstanding involvement with the Parade, and the partnership continues to evolve every year.

“Chester County Hospital first became involved in 2021, when we wanted to find a way to bring joy back to our community during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Colleen Leonard Leyden, Marketing Officer at Chester County Hospital. “For health safety reasons, that year the West Chester Christmas Parade was not held, but we were able to work with the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce to secure sponsorship of the very first Chester County Hospital Lights Up Holiday Weekends in West Chester, which brought thousands of holiday lights and numerous outdoor festivities to visitors as they supported local businesses throughout the holiday season.”

In 2022, the West Chester Christmas Parade returned, and the Hospital has worked with the Chamber ever since to support the parade as an integral part of West Chester’s Chester County Hospital Lights Up Holiday Weekends.

Michael J. Duncan, President and CEO of the Chester County Hospital Foundation, states that the Hospital’s role in the West Chester Christmas parade is a treasured community tradition, with patients and members of the Hospital’s staff looking forward to the parade each year.

“Chester County Hospital has been serving Chester County for more than 125 years, so we treasure our community’s traditions just as much as our patients do,” he said. “Many of our staff live within Chester County, and we’re keenly aware that the care we provide extends well beyond hospital walls. Supporting the West Chester Christmas Parade is our personal Christmas card to our community each year.”

For this year’s Christmas parade, attendees and participants alike can look forward to new additions: There will be a new competition for “Best Commercial Parade Float” and “Best Nonprofit Parade Entry.” Winners in both categories will receive a trophy, bragging rights, and a cash prize.

Businesses and organizations can also sponsor a professional parade performance for $2,500 to help support the Chamber’s goal to draw visitors to West Chester’s shops, restaurants, and businesses throughout the holiday season. The parade will provide a sponsor banner that will lead the performers, as well as four tickets for the VIP location for parade viewing. Two to four business employees may walk in the parade, leading the professional performers. The sponsor will also be recognized in media appearances and on parade night.

Applicants for the West Chester Christmas Parade are invited to visit Greater West Chester to fill out the 2024 Parade Application Form. The maximum number of performers may be reached before the Aug. 2, 2024, application deadline, so performers and sponsors are encouraged to apply early. Applications will be reviewed by the parade committee on a rolling basis, and local performer entries will be prioritized during the review process.

This year’s Christmas tree is sponsored by Lasko Products, LLC. Santa’s float is sponsored by Lamb McErlane PC and Treehouse World, and the VIP area is sponsored by COCOON. Sponsorships are also available to professionally light up borough blocks and lamp posts during the Chester County Hospital Lights Up Holiday Weekends in West Chester.

During Chester County Hospital Lights Up Holiday Weekends in West Chester, the Gingerbread House Competition is sponsored by Delphi Wealth Management, and appearances by Santa on a fire truck are sponsored by Tolsdorf Oil Lube Express.

“There are about 70 available performance slots in the West Chester Christmas Parade each year that fill up fast during the application process, so we feel fortunate that there is no shortage of enthusiasm from the community,” said Leyden. “At the same time, the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the parade, is always looking for ways to show appreciation for such enthusiasm and hard work from the parade participants. We’re excited to see how the new competitive elements help the parade reach even higher heights when it comes to creativity!”

Leyden, emphasizing Penn Medicine Chester County as a vital resource to the community, stated that this partnership with the Greater West Chester Chamber is a chance to bring awareness to the necessity of healthcare in the community.

“Many of those who attend the parade were either born or cared for at the hospital,” she stated. “Our participation in the parade brings awareness to the very close and personal connection we share with those gathered at the parade, making it a valuable investment that keeps giving long after the holidays have ended.”

Learn more about Chester County Hospital’s involvement in the community. Founded in 1892 as the county’s first hospital, the non-profit has grown into a 329-bed inpatient facility in West Chester. It also has outpatient services in Exton, West Goshen, New Garden, Jennersville, and Kennett Square.