Originally posted on Jon Balie’s RVA 5×5 Substack, which you can follow HERE.
The Dominion Energy Richmond Christmas Parade is a fun, annual rite for many; not as well-known as some other parades, perhaps, but it is still a fun morning filling up and filing down Broad Street from the Science Museum to Downtown.
Except for 2010.
In the lead up to this year’s parade over the weekend, The Times-Dispatch took a trip down horror memory lane to recall the reaction from around the world when Richmond became known as the city that killed Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer when the balloon float got stuck on a stoplight, ruptured and deflated right there in the street.
The video is downright priceless as you can hear the crowd cheering for the float’s handlers to steer it around the pole, but then the voices get louder with concern and then disbelief and shrieks as Santa’s most trusted helper takes one in the head.
The reaction to the incident was everywhere, from the Today Show to CBS News to Japanese news outlets to The Daily Mail in the United Kingdom that ran the headline: “Rudolph slayed! Horrified children watch as huge Christmas parade balloon bursts” and called it “the stuff of childhood nightmares.” The video of the incident was seen almost 275,000 times within the first few days and has has been seen by more than 2.2 million since.
Michael Martz noted in the article at the time Rudolph did actually make it to the end of the parade, “albeit with head bowed.”
Parade organizers released the following statement after the event: “Thanks for your messages of concern over Rudolph’s unfortunate accident. First we’ve determined after careful review that Rudolph was not pushed. His accident was the result of unruly winds, limited training for the handlers and the laws of physics. Rudolph is recovering nicely. We expect a full recovery and expect that after cosmetic surgery and adequate recovery period, he will re-enter the parade lineup next year ready to serve once again.”
Of course, we are not alone in parade infamy. The article does note that there have been other mishaps at parades: In 1997, a Barney balloon collapsed on top of wranglers during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. During the 1990 Detroit Thanksgiving parade, a massive Chilly Willy balloon escaped its handlers and flew away. It was recovered 25 miles away.
Martz summed up the event the best back in 2010: “And so, the world’s most famous reindeer gets a hole in the head, and Richmond gets publicity for the mishap.”
That’s Richmond Real.
