By Shawn White
Winslow’s Christmas parade is the biggest Christmas parade in the region, a cherished event that people look forward to every year. This year’s theme was Santa’s Workshop, which produced many creative floats. Prior to the parade, Santa and Mrs. Claus made a special appearance at the Chamber of Commerce, allowing children to talk to the big man up north while there’s still time before Christmas. Just before the parade, Santa went around and talked to people in the different floats, spreading holiday cheer before the big show. Later, the sun came out, leading to a pleasant 71 degrees, warm sunlight, and a slight breeze—an optimistic opposition to last year’s cold and rainy parade weather. Over 60 floats participated in judging; not all the floats competed, but they still marched in the parade, so there’s no wonder this parade took around two hours to complete. The diverse array of floats, including beautifully decorated vehicles and many other entries like the Winslow High School marching band, showed off the skills that recently won them competitive awards. There were also cowboys on horseback and traditional Native American dancers and families putting together their own floats. Brenda and Mary Alice Hayes were the grand marshals, ladies known for their singing voices at so many events in Winslow over the years. This parade stood to highlight their longstanding contributions to the community. The parade was a major success to everyone who attended but most of all Winslow Chamber of Commerce employees Bob Hall and Angela Moser. This is a time where people from across the region can get together to be neighborly and cheerful and set the tone for the rest of the holiday season. At the time of publication, the results for the awards are still being tallied but The Tribune will report on them in the next edition!
