News: Neillsville, wis. - Fairyland Parade (Christmas Parade - 1953)

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 
 

Surnames: Bergemann, Roberts, Lee 
 

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) November 5 & 19, 1953 
 

Fairyland Parade (Christmas Parade –1953) 
 

Little Snow White 
 

A beautiful Fairyland Parade, with entertainment in the Christmas season mood, was scheduled by the retail committee of the Neillsville Chamber of Commerce at its meeting last Thursday. 
 

The parade, featuring favorite characters of children’s fiction, will step out of their story books for the big Fairyland Parade, Saturday, December 5.  There will be (of course) Ma and Pa Santa Claus, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (including Grumpy and all the rest); Donald Duck and a host of other favorites of the small fry. 
 

All will be out in their usual characters and dressed to the hilt.   
 

In charge of the arrangements is John R. Bergemann, chamber of commerce secretary, who sees in this Fairyland Parade the makings of an annual Yuletide affair; and who believes it will be one of the finest Christmas season events to be held anywhere. 
 

In conjunction with the parade plans also are being set in motion for an entertainment in the Armory that evening, and possibly for the following evening, also.  
 

Mr. Bergemann is receiving enthusiastic help from a number of local people, with Mrs. Glenn Roberts and Mrs. E. L. Lee in the role of assistants. 
 

Santa Claus will make his appearance with free gifts for the children on Saturday afternoon, December 12, according to plans made by the chamber’s retail committee.  
 

What Appeared to Be a Job to Fill 80 Costumes is Just as Easy as Pie -  
 

Few events have captured the fancy of mothers and children of the area so completely in recent years as the Fairyland parade and the Christmas pageant to be held here December 5. 
 

That is the word of John R. Bergemann, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce and a prime mover in the event. 
 

Mrs. Glenn Roberts, who has been charged with finding approximately 80 children to dress up in fairyland and storybook costumes, believed at first she had a stupendous task.  She started at it with a will and filled all the suits in short order. 
 

Now her telephone is ringing in sporadic barrage, with mothers inquiring: "Can little Esther be in the parade?" 
 

The answer, Mr. Bergemann said Wednesday, is definitely "yes!"  
 

"If the children have costumes of their own depicting fairy story characters, we shall be more than glad to have them." 
 

He asked that those mothers of children who wish to participate, telephone or see Mrs. Roberts well in advance of the event in order that those in charge of the parade will know how to plan.