Christmas parades bring holiday cheer

Now that Thanksgiving is over and almost all of the turkey leftovers have been devoured, it’s time to look forward to the many Christmas parades scheduled in the area.

Kinston holds its annual downtown Christmas parade at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 12 on Queen Street with a procession that will last a little more than an hour. Santa Claus will make an appearance of the holiday season at the parade.

“It’s a tradition for us to have a Christmas parade in Kinston,” Adrian King, Pride of Kinston executive director, said.

State, county and city officials will participate, as well as numerous floats, school bands and fire trucks. King said the parade route will start at the Grainger Stadium parking lot before heading down Vernon Avenue and continuing along Queen Street.

Pink Hill and La Grange will also host Christmas parades this season. La Grange’s parade will begin at 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, followed by Pink Hill’s annual parade on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m.

“We will have at least 80 different units, including several floats participating this year in the parade,” Pink Hill Mayor Treva Brigman said. “Our new fire truck will be on display for the first time.”

Brigman said the parade will also feature Pink Hill Miss Merry Christmas contestants with the winner announced after the parade. The parade’s grand marshal will be Teresa Byrd, Brigman said.

The town of Hookerton won’t be holding a parade, per se, but it will kick off area Christmas festivities with a tree-lighting ceremony that will take place downtown on Monday. The ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. on Main Street.

Chris Lavender can be reached at 252-559-1078 or clavender@freedomenc.com.

Area Christmas parades/celebrations 2009:
Hookerton — 6 p.m., Monday, Nov. 30 tree-lighting ceremony at Main Street
La Grange — 4 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 3; starts at La Grange Elementary School
Greenville — 10 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 5; starts at Evans and 10th streets
Maysville — 11 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 5; starts at town park near N.C. 58
Snow Hill — 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 5; starts at National Guard
Goldsboro — 4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 5; at Center Street
Pink Hill — 2 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 6; at N.C. 11 and Carol Drive
Trenton — 3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 6; starts at Cowards Red and White Grocery
Walstonburg — 3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 6; starts at Walstonburg Rural Fire Association building
Kinston — 10 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 12; at Queen Street
Ayden — 11 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 19; starts at Ayden Elementary and Ayden Middle Schools
Dover — 11 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 19; starts at Wilson Street