Parade to launch Monday

75 floats to participate in event to compete for top prize

By Laura Johnson | Alex City Outlook

Published Friday, December 4, 2009

Santa Claus will take a brief break from his workshop at the North Pole to make an appearance in Alexander City for the annual Hometown Christmas Parade on Monday.

Thousands of Alexander City residents are expected to turn out to watch as he makes his way down city streets atop one of the 75 floats that are also scheduled to be included in the parade, which is sponsored by the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce.

“It just wouldn’t be Christmas without it,” chamber president Marvin Wagoner said. “It is something that the chamber has done for many, many years and it just gets bigger every year.”

Floats will be designed to celebrate the parade theme which is “It’s a magical musical, Christmas.” Wagoner said he expects to see designs celebrating traditional Christmas songs such as “Frosty the Snowman” and “O, little town of Bethlehem.”

“I expect to see some very unique and creative entries,” Wagoner said. “Because of the theme the opportunities are just almost endless for creativity.”

Businesses, non-profit and entertainment entries will each be judged for first, second and third place prizes. The winners will be announced at the chamber’s holiday breakfast on Dec. 17, where they will receive a plaque of recognition.

The parade will begin on Dadeville Road at 6 p.m. on Monday. It will continue onto Cherokee Road, turn right onto Church Street, and go through the roundabout downtown before continuing onto Tallapoosa Street where it will end at the Bibb Street intersection.

The parade will make two performance stops where the band and dance teams will complete a brief show. The first stop will be in front of the Darwin-Dobbs dealership on Cherokee Road and the second stop will be at the intersection of Tallapoosa and Madison Streets across from the chamber building.

Organizers recommend that attendees line up on the parade route along Cherokee Road, Church Street and Tallapoosa Street, but recommend that they avoid Dadeville Road because the bands will be staging for the event in that area.

The parade will be led by Grand Marshals Larkin and Richie Randey, and Kenny and Joyce Riley, who won the chamber’s community spirit award in 2008.

Parade participants will begin lining up on Comer Street at 4 p.m., but police will close the road at 3 p.m. The city will close the remainder of the roads on the parade route shortly before 5:30 p.m.

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