Yes, Virginia, there will be a Christmas Parade in Ocean City after all!

Days after Ocean City's Downtown Merchant Association decided to cancel the town's annual Christmas Parade on Asbury Avenue, Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian announced Thursday that the parade will be held Friday, December 5th at 6:30pm.

“Ocean City is a town based on history and tradition and our annual Christmas Parade is a family tradition that we feel needs to be continued,” Gillian said in a statement. “We are happy to work with the Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Merchants to create a parade that every generation can enjoy and get in the holiday spirit”.

After being rained out last year, the downtown merchants had first moved the parade date to a Sunday afternoon and then decided to cancel the parade all together, saying that it conflicted with other scheduled holiday events and they would reconsider the parade next year.

But the overwhelmingly negative response to that decision from the public and in this blog space led to Thursday's announcement.

Well done, Ocean City, you have made Santa Claus and all his fans very happy!

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