WELLSBURG — This year, the Wellsburg Christmas parade will be moving to a new date and time, with another holiday event to follow it.

Held for many years by the Wellsburg Chamber of Commerce, the procession on Charles Street has been a Wellsburg tradition, helping to usher in the Christmas season for many Brooke County residents.

And now under the Brooke County Area Chamber of Commerce, a merging of the Wellsburg and Follansbee chambers of commerce, the event will be held at 10 a.m. Nov. 22, with a Christmas Market to follow it at about 11 a.m. on the Town Square.

Chamber President Eric Fithyan, who has coordinated the parade since 2013, said the move has opened the door for more sponsors and more participation from groups that previously weren’t able to get involved in the evening parade.

Fithyan announced the theme for this year’s parade will be “Welcome Home for the Holidays: A Salute to Our Local Veterans,” and members of the Wellsburg and Follansbee American Legion posts and the Ohio Valley Veterans Memorial Squad have been invited to appear so residents can show their appreciation for their military service.

TEAM Ford Wellsburg and Trinity Health System will serve as major sponsors.