BEVERLY — Nick Sudak's first entry in the Beverly Holiday Parade, back when he was a teenager, was himself.
"I put myself in a box and walked the entire route as a Christmas present," he said.
That route has not varied for years, according to Wendy Kelley of Danversbank, one of the parade's organizers. Starting at the Cummings Center this Sunday at 1:30 p.m., it will head down Cabot Street to Broadway, then to Rantoul Street, and back to Elliott Street and the Cummings Center.
Though Sudak walked the parade again recently, along with his daughter and other members of Girl Scout Troop 253, these days he's more likely to drive its length at the wheel of his pickup truck, pulling a float.
Sudak, 43, has in fact designed floats for six parades and this year will create one to carry the Briscoe Middle School band, which is participating for the first time. His daughters, Madelyn, 14, and Emma, 12, are both in the chorus and will accompany the band.
"I think I love the parade more than the kids do," he said.
The parade's judges apparently like Sudak, too. One of his creations, designed for Girl Scout Troop 253, and reflecting the theme "The Seven Days of Christmas," won best float by a nonprofit two years ago. He also designed an award-winning float for the Ayers Ryal Side Elementary School student council.
"I'm Beverly born and bred," said Sudak, who attended the Hardy and Briscoe schools, then Beverly High. He works "in the property management field" and borrowed a 16-foot-long "flatbed landscaping-type trailer" from an electrical contractor for Briscoe's float.
According to Briscoe's band director, Adam Costa, they will play two tunes: "Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer" and "Here Comes Santa Claus." "We might sneak a third one in before Sunday, too," he said.
The theme for this year's parade is "Winter Wonderland," and though this weekend's weather forecasts aren't calling for snow, the floats should create a seasonable landscape in downtown Beverly.
"I've been hearing about a lot of snowflakes," Kelley said.
One float that will feature snowflakes will also carry students from the Children's Center for Communication/The Beverly School for the Deaf.
The school last participated in the parade "about 20 years ago" according to Mark Carlson, executive director, and "the staff and kids and parents wanted to get this going again."
Sitting on a flatbed truck, students "will be singing and signing at the same time," Carlson said, "expressing a song."
They'll also be handing out cards with the traditional sign language alphabet on one side, and on the other, three images from the Picture Exchange Communication System that spell out the song title "Let it Snow."
The cards' combination of traditional and cutting-edge communication systems, representing the range of student needs the school now serves, "gets to the essence of what our school does," Carlson said.
Besides Briscoe, other bands in the parade include the Salem High School band, which "plays every year," Kelley said, "and the Beverly High band, which marches in front of Santa every year."
One returning group, the Tony Barrie Marching Band, plays a special role in the parade, making music for all those groups that don't play their own, according to Kelley. The band will be positioned near the reviewing stand at City Hall so every group can march by to some accompaniment.
Mary Grant will be this year's parade marshal, in recognition of her years of service as Beverly's state representative, Kelley said. Santa brings up the end of the parade, arriving at the Cummings Center last. Beverly Bootstraps will collect money and canned food to help those in need.
If you go
What: 63rd Beverly Holiday Parade
When: Sunday, Nov. 28, 1:30 p.m.
Where: Cummings Center, 181 Elliott St., down Cabot Street to Broadway, then to Rantoul Street, back to Elliott Street and the Cummings Center. Parking in Cummings Center garage.
Donate: Beverly Bootstraps will collect dollars and canned food.
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