Annual holiday parade marks ‘100 years of tradition’
Or, if you liked your viewing considerably less congested and sweaty, you could’ve been like the Blanco-Eickleberry crew, who set up shop on the last block of the parade route near the Mascot Hall of Fame.
There, the Kobli sisters — Violet, 7; and the twins, Claire and Quinn, 5 — chased each other around with Silly String and had whatever candy various parade entries had left all to themselves while sisters Nancy Eickleberry and Veronica Blanco, and their friends kept hydrated. But either way, the parade had a little something for everyone.
Whiting Mayor Joe Stahura, exhausted from the heat and festivities, said the city went all out over the last two nights to make the celebration one to remember.
“This is 100 years of tradition, so we wanted to make it special,” Stahura said. “We got the (Lima Lima team) to fly, and we had a couple Hollywood floats here, too, plus (Blackhawks anthem singer) Jim Cornelison to kick off the parade with the national anthem. And with 20,000 people in Lakefront Park last night for the fireworks, we’ve been having a lot of fun.
“It’s been an amazing day, but I’ll be taking the rest of the day off after this.”
For Monserrat Inglada, youth services librarian for the Whiting Public Library, her team leading the parade with giant balloon structures spelling out “100 Years” was thankfully a lot lighter than it could’ve been, she said. The group would’ve liked a bit more more of a breeze, though.
“If it wasn’t so hot, this would be perfect,” Inglada said, smiling at her group for a trek well traveled. “And we only lost a couple balloons!”
Eickleberry, of Dyer; and Blanco, of Hammond, said growing up in Hammond meant the Whiting parade was the thing you did on the Fourth, come rain or shine. And now with friends who live at such a less-staked-out spot on the route, the tradition can live on comfortably.
“We always associate the parade with family and friends, Eickleberry said. “I definitely remember being here when it was raining.”
One of their favorite entries, the two said, has been the addition of the Fallen Soldiers, where groups carry posters of soldiers who’ve been killed in the line of duty.
“We have active military relatives and, what, 100 years of service in the family. It’s our freedom,” Blanco said.
Hammond police Sgt. Kelly Mickey finally got to share her favorite parade with Michelle Voss, only it wasn’t from the sidelines.
The two drove one of Hammond’s SUVs and did what the kids like — tossed loads and loads of candy.
“I grew up on in Park Forest (Illinois),” Voss said. “I loved the flyover, I loved the kids …”
“You were like a kid with the airplanes,” Mickey said. “But some of my favorite things are parades and kids, because they’re so funny about the candy.”
The parade hit a sour note when a woman walking with the Strack & Van Til float was run over as she tried to jump back on the float at the end of the route.
Hammond Police and Whiting emergency services responded, and she suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, an officer said at the scene.
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