Dover Christmas Parade Kicks Off the Season

Dover’s 2024 Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting brought energy and warmth to a frosty evening on Monday, Dec. 2 to kick off the holiday season.

As the performers were setting up near the Dover Sportsplex, thousands of residents and vendors with colorful balloons, toys, fresh popcorn, and other treats jockeyed for position along Blackwell Street.

Julian Grisales, a 25-year Dover resident, was thrilled to see his 12-year-old daughter, Ayleen, performing in the parade as a member of the Bri’LaFlor Dance Studio.

“I am very proud of her,” he said of the middle school student. “I have brought her to this parade since she was a little girl. Now she is in it!”

As the Dover High School Marching Band and dance team played “Silent Night,” Urien Arcilla, draped in a Colombian flag, savored the scene.

“I have lived here 15 years,” he said. “This is so special. It is so quiet, beautiful, and friendly. It reminds me of the town I grew up in in Colombia.”

As the dozens of floats and hundreds of participants filled the night with joyous and sacred seasonal music, the parade flowed up Blackwell Street, onto North Bergen Street, and into JFK Park, where Mayor James P. Dodd kicked off the tree-lighting ceremony. The Council Members drew big cheers, but the crowd offered a big round of support for the Recreation, Arts and Cultural Affairs department and its efforts to make the evening special.

Parade-goers got free hot chocolate and explored the festive stalls that dotted the park, selling a variety of unique gifts and treats. The Dover High School Choir and Jazz Ensemble, as well las the middle school band and chorus, performed a variety of holiday favorites before the grand finale –– a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus to flip the switch that lit up the park and even prompted a surprise snow squall that made it look like Christmas all over.