MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Holiday Parade is a city staple, showcasing holiday spirit for the last 92 years. However, it's now the end of an era. The DeGrace family, the parade organizer for the last 66 years, have decided to retire.
"As of this moment there will no longer be a holiday parade," said Suzanne DeGrace Spaeth.
Her father, George DeGrace, took over organizing the parade in 1953. After his death in 1995 the seven children took over the parade. For the last 23 years Suzanne says each of George's children did what they could to help run the $150,000 parade.
Suzanne, John, and Kathleen say running the parade is becoming too difficult to put on while they also try to take care of their own growing families and full time jobs. The siblings say the 2017 Holiday Parade is the last parade.
"A myriad of problems with construction and loss of vendors and increase prices and lack of sponsorship," said John.
Not to mention finding at least 50 volunteers to help run the event, along with a year of planning and establishing a construction free route. Suzanne says all the problems have come together in a "perfect storm".In its 90 plus years of existence, the parade has never been cancled. However, it was postponed one week after the assassination of President Kennedy.
The family says they've been actively looking for a new parade organizer since November, but have come up short. If someone doesn't step up soon, they say the parade is canceled indefinitely.
