Medina pulls together in big way for Olde Tyme Christmas celebration

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Fireworks lit up the night sky over Medina’s Main Street to usher in the start of the 15th annual Parade of Lights on Saturday evening.

MEDINA – Saturday’s 15th annual Parade of Lights is in the history books – the largest ever, with 71 entries, including 51 lighted floats, four marching bands and police and fire vehicles.

The parade is the highlight of Medina’s Olde Tyme Christmas celebration, which brought throngs of people into town to shop, ride the Polar Express at Medina Railroad Museum and watch the spectacular parade.

Medina resident Todd Bensley, selected as this year’s grand marshal for the Parade of Lights, welcomed the crowd before lighting the Christmas tree in Rotary Park.

By 4 p.m., restaurants were becoming packed with people who arrived early to get a parking space and then came in to eat while waiting for the start of the parade.

Evening festivities began with welcome remarks by Marguerite Sherman, deputy mayor, parade co-chair Jim Hancock and parade grand marshal Todd Bensley.

Hancock said Medina’s parade has become the largest Parade of Lights in the state.

Bensley said people of Medina always pull together.

“My successes are your successes,” he said.

Bensley then performed the ceremonial lighting of the giant Christmas tree in Rotary Park, before heading to Park Avenue to lead the parade down Main Street.

Handling the announcer’s duties for at least the 12th year was Assemblyman Stave Hawley.

Looking out over the crowd which filled Main Street, Hawley said, “This is Americana. This is Main Street America, where the stories of yesterday are now the stories of tomorrow.”

Parade entries included a number of first-timers, such as Coffee Pot Café, North Star Cruises, Logan’s Landscaping, Medina Sports Boosters and Terry’s Corners Volunteer Fire Company in Gasport.

The four marching bands included the Medina Mustang Marching Band, Mark Time Marchers, Pembroke High School Marching Band and Prime Time Brass, who entertained in Rotary Park prior to lighting of the Christmas tree.

Fire companies, in addition to Terry’s Corners, were Albion, Medina, Shelby, Ridgeway, Oakfield, Hartland and East Shelby, which observed its 70th anniversary this year.

Participating FFAs came from Medina, Albion and Roy-Hart.

“These local kids are the heartbeat of our community,” Hawley announced.

The North Wing at Medina Memorial Hospital entered a patient van with several residents from the unit riding in back.

Several floats paid tribute to the Buffalo Bills, including Blissetts, whose theme was “Bills-etts,” with a bride in her wedding dress standing at the end of a football field.

Santa and Mrs. Claus, riding in their sleigh, arrived in the final float built by Takeform.

Crowds quickly thinned out in Rotary Park after the giant Christmas tree was lit, to seek out their spot to watch the more than hour-long Parade of Lights. Santa later took up residence to greet children in the North Pole house.