The Christmas parade was held for years on the Friday after Thanksgiving...which had more meaning to get

into the spirit....now, because of BLACK FRIDAY....sales, money becomes more important and so
  TRADITION   ends.

When I was a kid it was held during the day and went from around Hawk St....to Erie Blvd...

Now State St....is not as wide and twists and turns...not the same...

But for tradition.....it will still be    MERRY CHRISTMAS   for me and my family.

There are no stores Downtown. Governmental gin mills-yes? Now these morons have changed the name and screwed up the date. No way to plan for this and no way for out of towners to attend. More signs of DEM moron renaissance and "progress". Oh yeah, knock down the beautiful IOOF hall for another ice cube tray.

Can't wait until they change it from a night to a day parade.

Right....the kids should not have to be exposed to lateness and especially the nite cold air....

I guess the lites on the floats would not show up as much....but then...led lites are in these days.

Gack in the day....there was so much Christmas spirit    than all this political mish mash....

put a post on Chit Chat   re   Kindness.....I wish all would take it to heart.

Actually -- I do believe that the parade was held during the day (I believe a Saturday) a number of years back and that didn't seem to work out well

The problem isn't day vs. night. It's that the Christmas Parade must be held on Black Friday. Like it was for decades until the idiots at the Chamber, Gazetto and Proctor's screwed it up. Now many folks that come home that long weekend cannot see the parade. There was no reason to change the name or the date.

It worked out well for a lot of people.....TRADITION

Except that it wasn't ALWAYS on Black Friday -- I believe it was sometime in the late 1960's or early 1970's that it was held during the day and on a Saturday.

I'm pretty sure the first parade was 1969.........it was at night  

It's a damn mess down there with the traffic, people were parking in the Stewart's parking spots and walking to the parade If I was the manager I would have a tow truck hiding in the back and tow away their cars.

Quoted from 1251

I'm pretty sure the first parade was 1969.........it was at night  

that may have been the first night time parade on the Friday after Thanksgiving --- but I believe there were Christmas parades in Schenectady  BEFORE that .. during the day and - I believe - on a Saturday

" There will be the traditional
Christmas parade and cartoon
show on Nov. 25, with two theaters
used this year and the
biggest parade in Christmas history"
SCH'DY GAZETTE Ocotber 27, 1966
http://fultonhistory.com/newsp.....scale%20-%200279.pdf

I recall marching with Mohon band in Xmas parade, starting at top of STATE ST and ending at ERIE BLVD or donw by the Scotia bridge. This was never an issue on day after Turkey day because BF was not that big a deal back then.  As for crowds, I remember the sidewalks were packed on both sides the entire distance of the parade.

Just found article in Gazette dated NOV 24, 1990 that this would be the 21st Annual Christmas Parade, so that would support the 1969 date....but I think it is wrong because I graduated in '66 and was in the parades when in High School.  Maybe 1969 was first GAZETTE Christmas Parade and prior to that there was no tie to any store, group or other.

The Christmas parade benefits no one downtown anymore no matter what day or night they have it on. There is no place to go downtown when the parade is over. IT IS JUST A PARADE!!

If there was retail downtown it would be a different story. But the city has 'tried' to make downtown an arts and drunks area. Clearly not with the family in mind.

So honestly.........it really doesn't matter any more. Proctors and the gin mills rule the day when it comes to downtown. The rest is just a waste!

I remember my grandfather taking us to the Christmas parade -- and he died in 1968 -- so I would agree with Joeboxr that there were Christmas parades BEFORE 1969.    

Now - of course - I was only in Kindergarten when my Grandfather died so we are talking very early childhood memories --- and yet I do recall the Planter's Peanut Man standing outside the Planter's Peanut store in the old Hough Building (the building that was torn down to build the theater at the corner of State and Broadway)  --- and this was as we were standing along State Street waiting for the parade to come down the hill.