Ilsa Minor Daily Press Residents enjoy the 2023 Escanaba Christmas Parade

ESCANABA — With the holiday season upon Escanaba, two local groups and the participants they attract are gearing up for Christmas events this weekend. “Christmas in the Village,” organized by the U.P. Steam and Gas Engine Association, comes to the U.P. State Fairgrounds’ Antique Village from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday, and the annual Christmas parade in downtown Escanaba kicks off Friday evening through coordinations by the Downtown Development Association (DDA).

The Christmas parade on Ludington Street will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6, led by grand marshals Ezra Dahlgren, age 5, and Ruby Murray, age 6, who won a random drawing to be prince and princess of the parade.

Local organizations, businesses, churches, fire departments and school groups will assemble their floats and queue outside Escanaba City Hall (410 Ludington St.) between 5 and 5:30 p.m.

“Also, we’ve got the Escanaba Post Office that will be collecting letters to Santa Claus when they go along, so kids can bring their letters to the parade,” said DDA Director Craig Woerpel.

As the parade marches, rolls, plays, honks and waves toward the end of the route at Stephenson Avenue, the sounds of Bill Rinne on the historic grand piano at Leigh’s Garden Winery may touch the ears of paradegoers who visit near the halfway point.

Bringing up the rear will be Santa and Mrs. Claus in a new vehicle; in the past, a city truck has acted as the Claus chauffeur.

“Santa will be bringing his sleigh from the North Pole, and that will allow him to bring some elves,” said Woerpel, clarifying that some of the local Cub Scouts will be serving as elves around the sleigh.

Upon reaching 15th Street, Santa will climb out to greet children one-on-one at the Escanaba Marketplace for the second year. Hot chocolate and cookies will be served.

“It is always a great event for the community to have everybody line the streets and then see all the lights on the floats up and down the street,” Woerpel said of the parade. “It’s just a really fun, fun atmosphere.”

During most of the day Friday and Saturday, the Antique Village — best accessed via the fairground’s Gate 3 on Ninth Avenue North — will welcome people to its nearly two-acre grounds of shops and displays that offer interactive education and unique shopping opportunities.

The U.P. Steam and Gas Engine Association, which operates the Antique Village, is “dedicated to the preservation, restoration and exhibition of vintage steam-powered engines … farm machinery, and other items of historical interest,” as their mission states. The members who take part in the events they organize — only a couple each year — and operate the village stores are passionate about their crafts and history.

Guests who attend “Christmas in the Village” this weekend may not also learn from a number of artisans but also enjoy carols in the community chapel, complimentary roasted chestnuts in the agricultural museum, bonfires in the village square, wagon rides and more.

The Sisters of Steam — a women’s subgroup of the Steam and Gas Association — have created a quilt that will be raffled off towards the end of the day on Saturday.

Admission to “Christmas in the Village” is free, but suggested donations of non-perishable items for a holiday food drive wil be accepted.