St. Charles Electric Parade lights up the night
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The 2007 St. Charles Electric Christmas Parade shined more brightly than the full moon Saturday.
Floats, vintage and new cars, school buses, the Hotel Baker trolley and even a cement mixer were wrapped with hundreds of white or multicolored lights.
A train with an engine, two cars and a caboose outlined brilliantly in primary colors made circles as it rode down Main Street to the delight of a crowd of thousands.
There were nearly 70 entries, including a live reindeer, donkey, llama and camel -- sponsored by local veterinary clinics -- marching bands, a carriage and a sleigh drawn by white horses, bagpipers, majorettes, a lighted gorilla balloon and even the Grinch who stole Christmas.
Ashley Hatfield, Miss Illinois and Merriebeth Cox, Miss Illinois Outstanding Teen waved to the crowd from a Pontiac Solstice. The St. Charles Singers were the parade marshals.
Parents, grandparents and children watched together and waited for Santa Claus, who made his entrance late, accompanied by Mrs. Claus. Teenagers stamped their feet against the cold, huddled next to each other and used cell phones to connect with their friends.
"Both kids are fighting colds, but we bundled them up; they didn't want to miss it," said Tom Thompson of Geneva. He had Brady, 2, on his shoulders while his wife, Jane, held Abby, 4. "They just love it."
Eric Klein of Batavia stood watching near Third Street in front of Kettley Realtors where he had played Santa. The realty company offered free cookies, hot chocolate and cider and pictures with Santa before and after the parade. Only Klein's Santa trousers gave him away as he swayed to the music of the New Generation Fancy Drill Team.
"There's only one Santa, so as soon as he comes, I'm putting my costume back on," Klein said, ready to spend another hour posing as the jolly elf.
It was his second year playing Santa and watching the parade.
"It's a good community event," he said. "They put a lot of time and effort into it. There's a lot of participation with the floats. St. Charles downtown is good before and after the parade."