Longstanding Traditions - inspire community magazine
From night-time parades to spring celebrations to basketball tournaments, the Centralia-area has amassed its fair share of annual traditions, all of which are deeply woven into the fabric of the community.
CENTRALIA HALLOWEEN PARADE
The Centralia Halloween Parade started in 1923. Since then, the parade has been organized by several community organizations and remains one of the largest and most coveted nighttime parades in the nation.
Passing through the heart of Centralia on Highway 51, the parade features decorated floats, marching bands, emergency vehicles, dance exhibitions, and much more.
“Our longstanding tradition of having a nighttime parade is a real rarity within the country. Not many communities have that,” said parade chair, Jackie ‘Butch’ Mathus. “What’s so unique about our parade is the lighted floats, and all the downtown activities in our fall festival and car show that coincide with the parade. We have vendors from all over the country, and people from as far away as Australia that watch the parade online.”
CENTRALIA MAY FETE
Established in 1922, Centralia High School’s May Fete event is one of the oldest and most storied traditions in the area. It is one of just two May Fete events in Illinois to include a May Pole Dance – which has traces to medieval Europe. May Fete features an elected queen, king, and royal court, as well as multiple song and dance routines performed by students.
“May Fete is important to so many people that are still here in Centralia, as well as those that have moved away and those who have heard about Centralia over the years,” said Diane Fritch, former CHS teacher and 25-year May Fete coordinator. “There’s an abundance of individuals that make the event happen – from the students to the teachers and the administration. It’s one of those events that really brings Centralia together.”
CENTRALIA HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
Also held at CHS, which was known as having the “Winningest Basketball Team in the Country,” is the Centralia Holiday Tournament - an institution in regional high school basketball dating back to 1942. Held between Christmas and New Years, the famed three-day tournament sees crowds as large as 6,000 people attend each year, with teams near and far traveling to Centralia for an opportunity to compete.
“The Holiday Tournament is something the whole town looks forward to. It’s also something for the schools from out of town that come to play each year. We’ve had teams from Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri. We even had a team from Miami fly up one year,” said Rod Snow, a lifelong fan of the Centralia Orphans basketball team. “It’s a great event. The connection the community has with the tournament has always been very good.”
