Chamber's Annual Holiday Parade Set for Dec. 16 in Liberty Corner

About 2,000 community members and parade lovers usually attend the "old-fashioned" annual Holiday Parade hosted by the Bernards Township Regional Chamber of Commerce, (BTCC) and scheduled this year for Thursday, Dec. 16, said the BTCC's executive director, Al LiCata.

The parade will start at 7 p.m. sharp at the flagpole at the corner of Church Street and Valley Road and will proceed up Church Street to end up at the Liberty Corner Fire Co., LiCata said.

The public then is invited to enjoy refreshments, door prizes, socializing, and a meet and greet from Santa at the firehouse, LiCata said. LiCata said the Liberty Corner Fire Co. co-sponsors the parade, held for about a dozen years.

"We have a lot of merriment at the firehouse," LiCata said. "It's an old-fashioned holiday party."

LiCata recalled that about 13 or 14 years ago, that he and residents Cathy Cheo Isaacs, Linda Arnold were at a chamber planning meeting and, "We floated the idea of a holiday parade to bring people together and highlight this section of our community.

"With tremendous support from our fellow chamber members, the event has become a community tradition that many look forward to each year," LiCata said. A crowd of about 2,000 can be expected no matter what the weather, LiCata said on Monday.

The parade will include chamber member businesses, fire companies, the police department, local scouting troops and Santa himself ending the parade, with the assistance of Kearns & Duffy Law Firm, of Liberty Corner.

Those groups wishing to march in the parade are asked to arrive to line up at 6:30 p.m. and to confirm participation prior to the event, by calling the chamber office at 908-766-6755.  

BTCC President Rob Love said the public is invited to line up along Church Street and watch the parade before joining everyone at the firehouse.

"The Chamber looks forward to this event each year, and appreciates the support we get from the Liberty Corner Fire Company," Love said.

Millington Savings Bank, Renaissance Communications, Kearns & Duffy, Precision Office, Valero Gas of Bernardsville, Addalias Florist of Bernardsville and Starbucks are a few of the supporters of this year's post-parade reception, Love said.

"We encourage everyone to come out and share in the spirit of the holidays via this time-tested Chamber program," LiCata said. "It's really something special."