David Burchell made sure Friday night was one Jennifer McKelvey would never forget.
When McKelvey was riding down main street on a float during the ‘Twas the Lights Before Christmas parade, her ride came to a sudden stop. John Legend’s “All of Me” started playing and a sign that read “Will you marry me, Jenny?” came into view.
“At first I didn’t know what was happening,” said McKelvey, who serves as the International Falls Area Chamber of Commerce executive assistant. “It didn’t hit me what was going on until I saw (David) walk through the crowd toward me. And he just looked like such a prince.”
With the couple’s family and friends behind him, Burchell got down on one knee and asked his girlfriend of almost two years to be his wife. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause when she accepted.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” McKelvey said staring at the solitaire diamond on her finger. “I don’t even want to put my mitten back on.”
The bride-to-be said Monday the couple discussed a date for the big day over the weekend, but nothing has been set.
In addition to the excitement brought on by the newly-engaged couple, chamber President Faye Whitbeck said overall, the annual parade had one of the best turnouts to date.
“The chamber has been interactive with the community in several ways, and we started promoting the parade in early October and increased the prize amounts,” she said. “It seems the overall effort and investment in the size and quality of the floats was of a higher degree. I do hope that all (entries) feel like winners – because the judges said scoring was challenging. Every one of the floats contributed to the success of the parade.”
The Gizzard Girls earned the first-place award, Duty Free America came in second place and St. Thomas Church and school was named the third-place winner. The float by Rainy River Veterinary Hospital was credited with honorable mention.
“The weather wasn’t warm but it wasn’t the worst either. If you dressed for it, it was enjoyable outdoors,” Whitbeck said. “I walked the rectangular route as the parade commenced and I really enjoyed the energy on both Fourth Street and Third Street. Families were happy and joyful, and I’m just so grateful to every volunteer who contributed to that spirit, and to the float builders who delivered.”
The rest of the weekend also played a part in kicking off Borderland’s holiday season, Whitbeck said. She gave a nod to the Voyage Forward initiative, which encourages shoppers to buy locally.
“Early retailer evaluations are mostly good,” she said. “Some early reports say sales could have been better, but the majority did well.”
Overall, the weekend was success, said Whitbeck.
“Every year the chamber really scrutinizes the outcomes, writes a debrief and aims to improve,” she said.
