The bitter cold couldn’t keep the crowds from descending on Jeffersonville Friday evening for the annual James Dworetsky Memorial Holiday Parade. 

The decades-old tradition brought out hundreds of local emergency service volunteers and community organizations to show off their holiday finest as they parade down Main Street. 

The parade dates back nearly 30 years in Jeffersonville, named for James Dworetsky, a Youngsville fireman who passed away on Thanksgiving in 1995, just before the parade he’d helped plan was set to go off. 

That first parade drew thousands out to honor the former fire chief and his dedication to both the fire service and his community, and it has borne his name ever since. 

Each year, as families descend on Jeffersonville to celebrate the holiday season, they celebrate Dworetsky too.