'Can't take away Christmas spirit': Hundreds attend 60th annual Waukesha Christmas Parade

 

WAUKESHA, Wisc. (CBS 58) -- Hundreds filled the streets of downtown Waukesha on Sunday for the 60th annual Christmas Parade.

This year's theme? A Holiday Gem -- six gemstones, in fact, to represent the six lives lost when a man drove through the crowd, killing several and injuring dozens more in 2021.  

“You can’t take away Christmas spirit, it eventually comes back for sure," said Windy Bohn with Divino Gelato Cafe.

Bohn was joined by her coworker and sister-in-law, Heather Wierzchowski, who had been at the parade during the violence. 

“Don’t let evil win, that’s where the town really has come together to show and prove that there’s new beginnings and that people are strong and that evil does not conquer," Wierzchowski told CBS 58.

And Wierzchowski was one of many who were in attendance Sunday who had also been face-to-face with the tragedy.

Holly Schmitz and her family decided to sit in the same spot as they did two years prior.

"It’s just nice to see everyone come together and continue to support the community," Schmitz said, adding that watching the parade has been a family tradition for more than a decade. “You just gotta keep pushing forward and stay a part of the community and everyone’s gonna start healing and just continue to be that community.”

Schmitz and her 11-year-old daughter said they loved seeing the Dancing Grannies perform, and felt safe knowing there was an increased presence by law enforcement officers throughout the route.

Various mobile vehicle barricades were also set up for added safety measures, blocking off access to the parade.

“I think it just solidifies that there’s always hope after something that is bad in this world," Bohn said.

A portion of the proceeds from the parade will be donated to community organizations in the surrounding area.