SEBASTIAN — They began lining up along Indian River Drive well before 5 p.m., scouting out the perfect place to unfold a chair or unfurl a blanket to watch the annual Sebastian Christmas and Holiday Parade.
For 18-month-old Jayden, it was a first. He was too young and had been battling an infection this time last year.
“We just brought him out to see the pretty lights,” said his grandmother, Brenda Schirmer, who was able to catch the parade for the first time herself, having recently moved back to Sebastian from New York.
Jayden’s mom, Grace, said Jayden has changed the way she approaches the holiday, explaining that, before Jayden, she wasn’t much interested in coming out to the Christmas parade.
Dozens of businesses and civic groups marched and drove down Indian River Drive, some tossing candy and necklaces, others serenading the thousands-strong crowd with Christmas carols.
Nancy came out to the parade because her grandson Aidan was going to be a part of the Pelican Island Elementary School float. This was her first year attending the parade, she said, explaining that she’s often attended the Vero Beach Christmas parade.
“Christmas lights and Santa,” Nancy said when asked what – other than her grandson – she was looking forward to at the parade.
“Christmas lights especially,” Aidan’s older brother, Liam, agreed.
“It’s pretty neat to see the decorations, the different designs,” the boys’ dad, Josh Landon, said.
Hunter Winship and his sister, Brooke, sat on the concrete sidewalk along Indian River Drive with their mom, Cheryl, enjoying a picnic dinner before the parade started.
Together, they shouted, “Candy!” when asked what they were most looking forward to with the parade.
The Winships recently moved to the Sebastian area from the Greater Buffalo, NY, area, in part to escape the snow.
Cheryl Winship said they’ve not been to a Christmas parade without snow.
The family has a different approach to the holiday season from most other families, Winship said. She explained that Hunter, in 2008 at the age of 5, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Burkitt’s Lymphoma, a rare form of cancer characterized by rapidly growing tumors.
That same year, Hunter responded well to treatment and has been in remission ever since.
“It changes your outlook on life,” Winship said.
Quietly, Hunter said he was looking forward to seeing Santa, though he didn’t believe the real Santa would be in the parade.
“Santa’s actually real,” Hunter said, adding that this time of year, Santa would be far too busy to participate in parades. Instead, Hunter believes Santa sent a “spy Santa” to assess the crowd’s children – double checking the Naughty and Nice list.
The Sebastian GFWC Junior Woman’s Club Marching Band escorted Santa and Mrs. Claus, along with the Grinch, to Santa’s house at Riverview Park at the end of the parade route.