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WM Christmas Parade tonight

Holiday revelry hits the streets at 7 p. m. with ‘ Once Upon A Christmas’

news@theeveningtimes.com

It’s the Christmas season and time for the annual West Memphis Christmas Parade. A fairy tale title makes the 2016 theme: “Once Upon a Christmas.”

Keeping it all about Christmas is a special focus for the Chamber of Commercesponsored parade this year.

Horses, cars, motorcycles, dancing groups, floats and all the West Memphis school bands will parade down Broadway from the Meadowbrook Shopping Center and turn north on Missouri street with the parade ending in the parking lot of West Memphis Christian School. The parade will be full of lights and the march begins at 7 p.m. this evening.

Floats will be judged around the theme and there are more of them this year.

“We’ve got a lot of parade participation,” said Kerry Morgan with the Chamber.

“Last year there were a lot of single vehicles but this year most of the entries are floats.”

Three fire departments will roll down the two busiest streets in the city too. Crawfordsville and Jericho will light the way and sound the sirens along with the West Memphis Fire Department for the Christmas celebration.

While Santa on a vintage fire truck marks the finale he won’t be the only celebrity on the parade this year. A highlight to be seen will be a real queen, the 2016 Miss Heart of Arkansas, Tina Harris. The pageant promotes a good cause, Meals on Wheels.

Favorite character pairs round out the celebrities stepping out in the parade including, Scooby Doo and Daphne, the Dr. Seuss characters the Cat in the Hat and the Grinch, the ageless Charlie Brown and Snoopy, super-heroes Iron Man and Captain America, and Elsa and Olaf of “Frozen” fame.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth or sensitive ears you’ll want to make note of three rule changes for parade participants this year which aim to keep the focus on Christmas for family parade watchers. Morgan summarized the improved rules.

“There’s no throwing candy, all music must be Christmas themed, and to respect the Christmas venue as far as the dancers are concerned,” said Morgan.

By John Rech