|
PDA looks for Christmas Parade entries
By Connie Beard
Published November 20, 2009
It will be “A Vintage Christmas” this year as the annual parade rolls through the streets of Paris Saturday, Dec. 5.
“Vintage Christmas means different things to people. We may have someone who thinks the ’70s is vintage, or we may see something from the ’20s. Who knows. It’s going to be fun seeing what people come up with,” said Wyatt Bowden, president of the Paris Downtown Association, organizers of the event.
The parade gets moving at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5. The route is the same as years past. It starts at 1st S.W. Street and proceeds along the west side of the Plaza, turns left onto Clarksville Street to 12th S.E. Street where it turns left, then left onto Lamar Avenue to North Main Street. The parade will end where it began at the courthouse parking lot.
“We encourage everybody to park nearby and walk a block to enjoy the parade as it comes around the Plaza,” Bowden said. “Our speaker system is set up so we can now address the crowd.”
The 2008 parade featured more than 60 entries. Bowden said he hopes to top that this year. At this point, bands from all four of the county’s high schools are planning to show their stuff to the hometown crowd.
Entry forms are available at the Lamar County Chamber of Commerce at 8 West Plaza. The entry fee is $25 and the deadline is Wednesday, Dec. 2.
“We make no money on this event,” Bowden said. “We raise around $1,200 and give it back out in cash prizes.”
There are five float divisions: church, commercial, industry, organization and school. There is a $200 cash prize for Best Over- all Entry (which is not eligible for best float). Other prizes include $100 for Best Float in each division and $50 for Best Vehicle in each division.
As always, parade organizers remind those who are planning floats to not include a Santa as part of the display.
“There is only one Santa, and he will be in the parade,” Bowden said.
For additional information, call 903-272-9950.
Share |
Save |
Mail |
Print |
Letter
|
|
 |
|
|
