The inaugural Algonac golf cart parade drove through the city on Dec. 22.

The event was put on by Youth for the Future and its president Jacob Skarbek, who is also on the Algonac City Council.

The parade, which was designed to spread joy and Christmas spirit, was comprised of participants with decorated golf carts, side-by-sides, dirt bikes and four wheelers. It began at 6 p.m. with lineup starting at 5 p.m. at the Algonac-Clay Library.

At a Dec. 17 city council meeting, Skarbek said planning for the parade had started a few days prior.

“It was just kind of a little idea, kind of how everything happens when I do something: last minute,” he said. “We’re going to take my RV, we’re going to wrap lights on that, we’re going to take the speakers from the derby, put them on the trailer, we’re going to jam Christmas music as loud as we can get it and we’re going to have all the golf carts, four wheelers, dirt bikes, side-by-sides and now I know it’s a little cold, so if you have vehicles that you want to decorate just to stay warm we’re going to allow that, too.”

He said the parade would go down Michigan Street and then around town, checking out the best Christmas lights.

“We have two sponsors that are helping us do it — Henry’s Club helped us pull the insurance for it and (Four Seasons Insulation) paid for all the plaques, so all the participants are going to get a QR code once they get into the parking lot, that QR code is going to go to Google Docs and you’ll be able to vote on the best houses and the best parade floats,” he said.

Skarbek said the parade would stop at Algonac Church of Christ, where the youth would hand out free hot chocolate for any parade participants that want some.

He encouraged community members to attend. Council members said the event sounded like fun.

After the event, Skarbek said it was “awesome.”

He said organizers were originally expecting while planning to see about 75 participants, but then expected that number to decrease with the cold weather on the day of the event.

“We ended up having 54 people that showed up and it was awesome,” he said.

Skarbek said the parade received good feedback, but in future years, organizers want to make more of an event out of it.

“I want to get the county stage and then have like a band going, maybe like a little beer tent, have ice skating, and then do the parade and make like a whole event out of it,” he said. “But definitely for the first one, for a week pulling it off, I think it turned out awesome.”

“It was just to be joyful and express some cheer, and I think we accomplished that on this one, for sure,” he added.

The special event permit for the event was unanimously approved at the Algonac City Council’s Dec. 17 meeting.

Originally Published: December 24, 2024 at 10:15 AM EST