On Saturday, December 2nd, the fourth annual Holiday Parade took place in downtown Bernardsville. Starting near the town plaza, the parade made its way up Route 202, made a right onto Church Street, and finished at Bernards High School. The spectacle featured the Bernardsville fire department, the Boy Scouts, Little League baseball, and marching band, among other organizations. A notable addition to the parade this year was the inclusion of the Bernards sectional championship teams. From the fall sports, boys soccer, boys cross country, football, and girls tennis were all invited. The softball team, who won in the spring of 2023, was also in the parade.
Additionally, the town hosted events in downtown Bernardsville that same afternoon, yet another display of holiday spirit in the town. Many younger kids got to visit Santa at the Coffee Shop, and a Fortnite event was also held. These events really brought great holiday cheer to the town. Olivia Manning, director of Main Street Bernardsville, who hosted the parade, commented on the event. She says, “The annual holiday lights parade is such a special event for the community. At a time when coming together is a staple, this event is one way for our whole town to get together, even if it’s for just a few minutes.”
This was a great experience for all of the sports teams, a true victory lap to celebrate such incredible seasons. The teams received custom banners to walk with and were given prizes, too. All athletes wore team gear and had a great time doing it. Sean Griffin ‘26, an intricate member of the cross country team this past season, commented on the experience. Griffin said, “It was an exquisite holiday experience and an extraordinary way to honor our brilliant sports teams.” These fall sports teams won an incredible 12 championships, whether that be sectional, conference, or divisional. All around, the fall season was just spectacular for the school.
Manning also noted that bringing along these sports teams and the marching band was a great addition to the parade. She says, “We love that our school athletes and marching band joined in this year too. It just made it so much more special to celebrate successes along with coming together as a community.” In a smaller town like Bernardsville, events like these really do help bring the community together to celebrate the holidays. However, it seems as if there is a push to expand the parade even further. “We hope in future years to expand the event to the neighboring Somerset Hills towns so that more folks can join in the magic of the holiday season,” adds Manning.