09/14/2026
Announcing the 2026 HCOC Battle Creek Christmas Parade Grand Marshal!
The Harper Creek Optimist Club has been hard at work planning the upcoming Battle Creek Christmas Parade. The parade will be held in downtown Battle Creek, Michigan on Saturday, November 21, 2026. The Parade kicks off at the corner of Champion Street and Washington Avenue at 5:45 p.m., with arrival downtown on East Michigan Avenue in front of Access Vision at 6:00 p.m.
We are pleased to announce that longtime community activist Bobby Holley has been selected as this year’s Grand Marshal. Holley has been a lifelong activist and entertainer in the Battle Creek area and is known by many in the community. “Holley’s tireless dedication to the community and so many great causes are what makes him deserving of this honor.” said Stephanie Cornish, HCOC Parade Coordinator.
Holley graduated from Battle Creek Central High School in 1963 and then served in the U.S. Army. After leaving the service, he returned to Battle Creek and graduated from Kellogg Community College in 1974 and went on to earn his Bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in music theory from Western Michigan University. He was also a Stax recording artist in the 1960’s and had hits on music charts while touring around the nation.
He worked for the Battle Creek Federal Center for 20 years before retiring and becoming a substitute teacher in Battle Creek, while continuing his advocacy in the community. Holley still substitute teaches today and says he enjoys making a difference in the lives of students he teaches, while also raising awareness about bullying and violence.
Holley is not only an activist against social issues such as drug use, crime, homelessness, drunk drive and bullying, but also is a familiar performer. He’s spent time advocating in many ways, including crawling on his hands and knees for miles to support his various causes, he’s probably most recently known for being seen out and about raising money to purchase bikes for kids who don’t have one. Parade Coordinator Stephanie Cornish recently met up with Holley while he was out in front of the Urbandale Family Fare collecting donations for bikes, to congratulate him on the honor of being selected as Grand Marshal. Cornish noted that nearly every person walking in or out of the store knew Holley and he also knew each and every one of them by name and stopped to chat with them as they were putting a few dollars in his donation bucket.
Often his activism comes in the form of the attention-grabbing spectacle. Holley has crawled on hands and knees from Battle Creek to as far as Detroit – a challenge that took 11 days and nights – as well as Lansing, Marshall and Kalamazoo. He’s walked countless miles while pulling a casket down the city’s streets, stood for hours in winter weather wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, slept in cardboard boxes and even voluntarily spent the night in jail- all to raise awareness.
When asked what sparked his activism years ago, Holley shared that in 1987 his 13-year old nephew was murdered while on his way to return pop bottles near his home. Holley said “The killings and the gun violence and the drugs and the crime that we have, not only in Battle Creek, but also other cities...Somebody’s got to do something about that. Somebody has to get out there and get in the streets.”
While the Parade Committee considered a number of deserving individuals, Holley’s 35+ years of devotion to so many social issues that are important to our community, is what stood out to the committee. “Just when you think we’ve seen the last of Holley’s activism or that he’s going to ‘retire’ from his tireless work, he proves us wrong and is out there on the streets once again.” said Cornish.
The Battle Creek Christmas Parade has been produced and presented by the Harper Creek Optimist Club for the last 46 years as our gift to the Greater Battle Creek Area. The parade coincides with the start of the Battle Creek International Festival of Lights in downtown Battle Creek, Michigan. For more information about the Harper Creek Optimist Club, visit www.harpercreekoptimistclub.com.
