Despite below-zero temperatures Saturday night, the Wessington Parade of Lights once again proved that cold weather isn’t enough to dim a tradition built on creativity and community spirit.
Turnout and the number of parade entries were slightly lower than in recent years as the temperature dipped below zero, but those who lined Main Street were rewarded with a warm, unmistakably Wessington evening defined by friendly faces, lighted machinery and a shared commitment to showing up, no matter the forecast.
In the days leading up to the parade, organizers leaned into the weather with good-natured humor. A post shared on Wessington’s Facebook page acknowledged the frigid outlook, reminding the community that Wessington has weathered blizzards, broken tractors and questionable potluck casseroles before, and that a minus-nine forecast wasn’t about to stop the Parade of Lights.
That mindset carried through the evening as residents bundled up, thermoses in hand, lining Main Street to cheer on parade entries that braved the cold to keep the tradition alive.
Plus there were plenty of indoor activities for those who didn't want to endure the chill: a community meal, crafts for the kids and a special visit from Santa inside the Wessington Community Center.
What began 13 years ago as just a handful of four-wheelers has since grown into one of Wessington’s most anticipated holiday traditions. The parade was first imagined by Karen Clarke, who said the idea gained momentum almost immediately.
“It started as four wheelers,just four-wheelers, and then it kind of got into some competition with the farmers, and then it got big,” Clarke said. “It started out only about two or three entries, and then it just kept growing and growing.”
That friendly competition continues to fuel the parade’s evolution. Over the years, lighted pickups, four-wheelers and increasingly elaborate floats have been joined by semi trucks, combines and sprayers, all transformed into rolling Christmas displays.
“Competition,” BJ McNeil said with a laugh. “All of us. A few of us were competing, then all of a sudden everybody’s competing — like which farmer can have the coolest float? Some of us get a little carried away, but it’s fun.”
This year’s parade followed a unified theme, Santa’s Workshop, with entries embracing the concept through both craftsmanship and humor.
Two of those floats were built inside a large shed owned by McNeil, who has allowed community groups to use the space for float construction since the earliest years of the parade.
“They’ve always come here,” McNeil said. “I’ve just continued to do it because I think it’s a great deal for the community.”
One float was constructed by the Rocking Z Acres crew, a business owned by McNeil, and featured a humorous Santa’s Workshop mishap involving an elf and a conveyor-belt auger. McNeil shared that Colton Olivier, an employee, led the build with help from Kevin, Doug and the rest of the crew.
Clarke and the Wessington Book Club — a group of longtime friends who have volunteered together for decades — decorated the other float, fully embracing the Santa’s Workshop theme.
McNeil said the shed has long served as a gathering place in the weeks leading up to the parade, bringing people together to work on decorations and share ideas while preparing their entries.
Along the parade route, Karen Clarke’s husband, Bruce Clarke, reflected on how far the event has come since its earliest days. He said he participated in the very first parade with a decorated side-by-side on a snowy night, navigating deep snow with only a handful of entries making their way down Main Street.
From that modest beginning, Clarke said, it has been rewarding to watch the parade grow into a tradition that draws families together year after year.
Bruce Clarke also set up a hospitality stand Saturday night, offering free beverages and snacks for parade-goers braving the cold.
“Everything’s free for the community to enjoy and it’s just fun,” he said.