BENTONVILLE -- Downtown Bentonville Inc. has the perfect gift for those who want to relive the Bentonville Christmas Parade or simply missed it.
A one-hour show that will highlight the parade will go live on the group's YouTube page -- https://www.youtube.com/@dwtnnow -- at 10 a.m. Christmas Day, said Dana Schlagenhaft, Downtown Bentonville's executive director.
This is the third year the organization has produced a video version of the parade, Schlagenhaft said.
The Dec. 9 parade had more than 100 floats and was witnessed by thousands of people as it moved up Main Street to the downtown square.
"While we have 15,000 to 20,000 attending our parade, we thought it would be a fun tradition for the entire community to watch the parade on Christmas morning as they are enjoying this special time of year with family and friends," Schlagenhaft said. "Hey, if Macy's can do it in New York City, why can't we do it in Bentonville?"
Downtown Bentonville worked with avad3 Event Production to shoot footage of the parade.
"This year, we got to bring our multi-cam recording and added a jib [camera crane] that is really going to give their on-staff editor some great shots to pull together for the broadcast," said Cameron Magee, avad3 owner. "Our team is already sharing their next-time notes on how to make 2024 even brighter, and we can't wait to see what the future holds."
Schlagenhaft and staff members Aaron Nolan and Chandler Harris spent more than 72 hours editing, writing, voicing and on-camera hosting to produce the final product, that also will be shown on the local CBS affiliate KFSM-Channel 5 at 9 a.m. Christmas morning, Schlagenhaft said.
The cost is covered by sponsorships and a partnership with avad3, Schlagenhaft said.
A drone, the camera crane and five cameras caught action from different angles as the parade moved through downtown, she said.
Parade announcers were at the intersection of South Main Street and East Central Avenue on the square, which has been lit up for the holidays since Nov. 18.
Mayor Stephanie Orman said she was impressed by the overwhelming support of the parade.
"The significance of this annual parade serves as a reminder of our unity, resilience and the enduring bonds that make our community strong," Orman said.
Schlagenhaft said everyone really upped their float games for the parade. She mentioned one that city staff did in honor of the city's 150th anniversary, which featured a giant, illuminated water tower.
The city Public Works Department had the float. The water-tower frame was constructed and welded out of metal. The tank was made from foam filler to give it structure, then was coated with body filler for the outer shell, then painted. Twenty-five gallons of expandable foam and 8 gallons of the body filler were used, said Jerome Todd, Public Works maintenance assistant manager.
The water tower weighed approximately 700 pounds and was just over 11 feet tall, Todd said.
"The amount of detail that was put into it is impressive, even putting the indicator light on top," he said.
Corey McAllister, Scott Wise and Joe Hutchison with the Street Department built the water tower. It took roughly 160 man hours to construct, Todd said.
Krista Wick came up with the design of the float. Wick, Eric Boothe, Chris Hobbs and Tami Clark were the main float builders for Public Works with many others chipping in along the way, Todd said.
"Several floats pumped fake snow into the crowd, a giant gingerbread house was built onto a flatbed truck, there was an entire train of pageant princesses, corgis, frenchies, and lots and lots of bikes," Schlagenhaft said. "It's really special to see the effort that everyone put into the floats."
The For the Love NWA food truck also had a float complete with a Santa hat on top of the food truck. Twenty people walked along with the float, said Meredith Chapuis, executive director. For the Love is a local nonprofit with a mission to feed the hungry.
"It was a way to connect with the community because the community makes what we do possible," Chapuis said. "It wasn't freezing, and the crowd grows every year."
Chapuis said she would watch the video production to see the other floats in the parade that she was too busy to view the night of the event.
Schlagenhaft, a Bentonville native, said the parade has changed over the years, but some things remain the same.
"The parade may grow in size and scope, but the community spirit showcased at big events like the Bentonville Christmas Parade remains the same."
A Bentonville city float greets attendees, Saturday, December 9, 2023 during the annual Bentonville Christmas Parade at the downtown square in Bentonville. This year’s theme is ‘Merry and Bright’. The parade featured more than 100 floats and attractions, with more than 1,000 people participating, according to the Downtown Bentonville Incorporated website. Visit nwaonline.com/photos for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)
Parade participants from Cool Wags ride by , Saturday, December 9, 2023 during the annual Bentonville Christmas Parade at the downtown square in Bentonville. This year's theme is "Merry and Bright." The parade featured more than 100 floats and attractions, with more than 1,000 people participating, according to the Downtown Bentonville Incorporated website. Visit nwaonline.com/photos for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)