Spirit of Christmas parade celebrates 60th anniversary with theme
For its 60th anniversary, the Spirit of Christmas parade will look back upon its history in the area using its theme, “Christmas through the Decades.”
The 2025 rendition, presented by Butler Radio Network and Peoples Gas, will ring in the holiday season on Butler’s Main Street starting at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29.
The parade receives dozens of entrants every year from businesses, nonprofits, teams, clubs, civic groups, churches, schools, co-workers, youth groups and neighbors. Entrants are encouraged to use the theme as a basis for their design.
Tyler Friel, one of the parade’s coordinators with Butler Radio Network, said there are more than 80 entrants for this year’s parade. He said the theme was chosen to look back upon the history of Butler and the Spirit of Christmas parade during this milestone anniversary.
“As that number climbs, we recognize how important the parade is to the people of Butler and how important it is to honor our history,” Friel said.
Before the parade, children up to age 10 can participate in activities, such as face-painting, balloon art, and scratch and win cards. According to Experience Butler County, these activities will be hosted in the Zunder and Associates parking lot between 2 and 5 p.m. at 130 E. Jefferson St.
All activities are free, according to Experience Butler County.
The parade also aligns with Small Business Saturday, a nationally recognized day that encourages shopping at local businesses during the holiday shopping season.
“One of the things we stress is that you can make it a whole day and really check out what downtown Butler has to offer,” Friel said.
Friel also said he had gotten word from Santa and Mrs. Claus’ representatives at the North Pole confirming that they will be able to make it to town for the parade.
“We’re very grateful for this, we know it’s a very busy time of year for him,” he said.
