Christmas parade to wow a nighttime crowd
By LYNDA STRINGER - Tribune City Editor
Wednesday, December 3, 2008 11:08 AM CST
It has been almost two decades since the Mount Pleasant Christmas Parade has marched through downtown under the twinkling of Christmas lights and stars.
The Rotary-sponsored parade will begin at 5:30 sharp, its first evening start time since about 1990. The sun sets around 5:15 p.m. and twilight is at 5:40 p.m. With a high temperature expected in the low 60s on Saturday, it won't be too chilly and the nighttime air will give it a cooler breeze and a more Christmas-sy feel under the streetlights and the brightly-lit decorations on the Downtown Square.
The parade route runs from the Mount Pleasant Civic Center south on Jefferson Street to Madison Avenue, past the library and the courthouse and then turns right at 1st Street, ending at the old high school.
Not only will downtown be lit up and the storefronts gleam with Christmas cheer, many of the floats and cars in the parade - even the band instruments - will sparkle with illumination.
"With it being lighted this year, it is going to be wonderful," said Pat Adams, executive director of the Mount Pleasant/Titus County Chamber of Commerce, who gave kudos to Rotary President Jan Gaddis, the parade chair for the past eight years.
"She is the queen of the parade, the queen bee," Adams said, jokingly, but with admiration for Gaddis' leadership and organization of the annual spectacle. "When she says it starts at 5:30, you hear the sirens and it starts at 5:30."
It is all in the details and Gaddis is on top of every one of them, which is why she has not ridden in the parade - until now.
She said she is leaving the execution of the parade lineup at the Civic Center in capable hands with her fellow Rotarians in order to ride in front as the Rotary president.
"I don't usually ride in it because I want to wait until everybody including Santa Claus in the fire truck goes by, but this year, I am president, so I will be riding in front in a car, probably with my grandchildren," said Gaddis, who is vice president at Cypress Bank.
Gaddis, who reported 73 entries in the parade as of Tuesday, said she is surprised that there are so many. Last year, there were 60 entries.
Even the number of floats and cars entered to be judged has increased this year. There are 11 floats and five cars that will vie for prize money in seven categories.
In the competition among the floats, Green Title and Abstract Co. sponsors the first place Governor's Award, which offers a $1,000 prize. The second place $500 Christmas Magic Award is sponsored by Brookshire's. The Queen's Award is $350 and is offered by new sponsor Sweet Shop USA, while the Santa's Elf Award, sponsored by American National Bank, gives the fourth place winner $300.
There is also first, second and third place winners for the best-decorated cars. Sponsored by Guaranty Bond Bank the winning entries receive $150, $100 and $50 prizes.
The Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune is also offering the first ever People's Choice Award, which gives the parade watchers a chance to vote for their favorites. The votes must be turned in after the parade at the downtown stores that will stay open late Saturday night.
The theme this year is "Classic Christmas Movies" and Gaddis expects the floats to be bigger, and more elaborate than ever.
"The churches and the schools really do some awesome floats," Gaddis said. "They really work hard and they get the students involved. They just get more creative every year. They get out there and build all this stuff on a float. It is something to see. There is a lot of talent in this area."
Gaddis said several of the entries selected "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" as their movie theme, but the entrants are very guarded about letting anyone see what they are creating ahead of the parade.
Normally the parade organizers allow just one Santa, but this year, because of the Christmas movie theme, they have amended that rule.
"We'll just have to find a way to explain that to the kids," Gaddis said.
Gaddis, who especially loves Christmastime, said her favorite Christmas movie is "Miracle on 34th Street".
"There are so many awesome Christmas movies and Christmas is very special to me because it was special to my mom. That's the reason I get so excited about the Christmas parade," she said. "We just enjoy watching the kids in the parade. That's what Christmas is all about. Christmas is for the kids."
One rule that will not be amended for safety reasons is that none of the parade participants are allowed to throw candy to the spectators. They can, however, walk beside a float or car and hand out candy to the kids.
"We want to make sure that children are supervised and they don't run in front of the vehicles, so no candy can be thrown. It is just too dangerous," Gaddis said.
Gaddis said she and the other Rotarians have had many positive comments about the change in the parade schedule and the addition of the Christmas on the Square Festival.
"The merchants are going to be open and downtown is going to be lit up and vendors will be there. The city has worked with us really well in trying to get this together for night time," she said.
She said this year would be a big test.
"It will be a test to see what the night parade is all about, but I really have good thoughts about it and everybody else is excited about it," Gaddis said. "I want this to be really special like it has always been. We strive to be better every year and we hope the community appreciates it."
