LA GRANGE — Although Christmas is more than a seven weeks away, several cities already have events planned to get people in the yuletide spirit.
This weekend, La Grange, Jacksonville and Raleigh will all have Christmas parades to kick off the holiday season.
On Saturday, Raleigh —host of reportedly the biggest Christmas parade between Washington D.C. and Atlanta — will have its event at 9:40 a.m., with Jacksonville holding its parade at 10 a.m.
Lenoir County will have its first parade on Sunday, with La Grange carrying on a tradition which has lasted for about 30 years.
“We always have a large crowd who comes out,” La Grange Chamber of Commerce President Lavaron Howell said. “I’m very excited about the parade and meeting new people.”
Howell has also noticed a rise in the amount of floats which will be on display when the parade commences at 3 p.m. Last year’s parade had 120 participants.
“We have many participants this year,” Howell said. “As of (Monday), we have about 130, and there may be more before Sunday.”
Jeff Howard, an at-large board member with the Chamber, said the event had an abundance of people wanting to be a part of it early.
“By Oct. 1, we had 100 entries, which is fairly early for us to have that money,” Howard said. “We plan on having anywhere from 130 to 150 in the parade.”
The parade route will start at the Charles Street Extension with the grandstand at the intersection of Caswell Street and Railroad Street.
Howard said the event, sponsored by the La Grange Chamber of Commerce, will have some interesting features in it.
“We will have special recognition in front,” Howard said. “We’ll have members of the Color Guard from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and restored World War II Korean War and Vietnam War jeeps, which will have veterans or wars from the area riding.
“Of course, we’ll have a number of high school and middle school marching bands in the parade, along with antique tractors and classic automobiles. We’ll also have motorcycles and clowns in the parade.”
After the La Grange parade, Pink Hill will host Lenoir County’s next one on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 2 p.m.
“We’re always excited about the Christmas parade here, and we’ve been doing it for over 30 years,” Pink Hill Mayor Carol Sykes said. “Everyone says Pink Hill has the best parade around the region, and that’s true. The fire department and Barbara Davis do a great job putting it together.”
Kinston will host the last parade in Lenoir County on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 10 a.m. The event will be sponsored by a private committee and administered by Pride of Kinston.
“The parade is a part of the Kinston culture,” Pride Director Adrian King said. “It’s a way to have a fun day downtown and recognize the season. It also lifts the spirits in the community.”
Kinston Chamber of Commerce President Laura Lee Sylvester said she’s excited about the event, which has been around for many decades.
“The Chamber of Commerce is very delighted to know Kinston will be hosting a Christmas parade again,” Sylvester said. “This event is something our residents look forward to every year and this one will be no exception.”
Junious Smith III can be reached at 252-559-1077 and Junious.Smith@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JuniousSmithIII.
Want to go to a parade?
Here are the days and times for some of the local Christmas parades. Hookerton will not have a parade, but the time posted for the town is for its annual tree-lighting ceremony.
Raleigh: Saturday at 9:40 a.m.
Jacksonville: Saturday at 10 a.m.
La Grange: Sunday at 3 p.m.
Emerald Isle: Saturday, Nov. 30 at 3 p.m.
Pink Hill: Sunday, Dec. 1 at 2 p.m.
Trenton: Sunday, Dec. 1 at 2 p.m.
Hookerton: Monday, Dec. 2 at 6 p.m.
Pollocksville: Friday, Dec. 6 at 5 p.m.
Maysville: Saturday, Dec. 7 at 10 a.m.
Greenville: Saturday, Dec. 7 at 10:30 a.m.
Snow Hill: Saturday, Dec. 7 at 2 p.m.
New Bern: Saturday, Dec. 7 at 3 p.m.
Goldsboro: Saturday, Dec. 7 at 4 p.m.
Wilson: Saturday, Dec. 7 at 4 p.m.
Walstonburg: Sunday, Dec. 8 at 3 p.m.
Kinston: Saturday, Dec. 14 at 10 a.m.
Havelock: Saturday, Dec. 21 at 2:30 p.m.