Everyone Loves A Parade

Everyone loves a parade, especially me. Regardless of how small or big, I still find myself full of anticipation as I wait for the first float to pass. So when there’s a parade in town rest assured that you’ll find me and my family parked on the side line cheering everyone on. This past weekend, Southern Pines held its annual Holiday Parade and we were right there to enjoy every minute of the festivities.

After a quick lunch at the Café Iano, we headed out to Broad Street to stake our claim before the parade kicked off. The beauty of living in a small town is that you’re bound to run into someone you know and that’s exactly what happened. We found ourselves sitting with our neighbors and chatting with friends as they headed down the street searching for their own spot.  

This year’s parade was ushered in not by the grand marshal but by the unscheduled arrival of a train traveling right through downtown Southern Pines. Although this delayed the start of the parade by a few minutes, it certainly didn’t disappoint the crowd. The kids were thrilled as the train slowly passed by the station and headed on down the tracks. 

When the parade finally started, it was nothing less than fabulous. I realize that there weren’t $20,000 floats or balloon characters flying thru the air, but the Southern Pines Business Association did a great job of attracting a wide range of groups and organizations to march down Main Street. With over 50 entries, this year’s parade was not only the largest in Southern Pines history but was also blessed with beautiful weather. 

The start of the parade was marked with the passing of the colors presented by the local veterans of the Marine Corps Color Guard. There were also the usual entries, the local pageant winners, classic cars and scout troops. But my favorites included the Pine Crest High School Marching Band, the Southern Middle School Step Group, the Air Force ROTC Cadets, the Mothers of Moore pushing their strollers and the mini coopers. Of course no parade would be complete without the arrival of the Shriners in their little cars. However, my absolute favorite part of the parade was the Sandhills Academy of Gymnastics. Not because of the great acrobatic moves of the gymnasts, but because it was the first time my five year old daughter marched in the parade. 

My youngest daughter’s picks are a little different than mine. First, anyone tossing candy to the crowd is tops on her list. At three years old, she has perfected the art of candy scavenging and took home not one but two Ziploc bags of goodies from the parade. If she had to pick a favorite, it would definitely be Santa on the fire truck. She actually chased the truck down the street (with me running right behind her) waving and jumping up and down. She wouldn’t stop until Santa saw her and waved back. Thankfully, Santa is very observant or I would have been jogging Broad Street. 

When the parade finally ended and the streets started to clear, I found myself strolling through town thinking how lucky I was to call Moore County my home. I know I could have driven to Raleigh or Fayetteville to watch a bigger parade with brighter floats and larger crowds. But it wouldn’t have been the same. It was great to watch a parade and know the names of the people who where in it. Not because it was on a flyer, but because they where my neighbors and my friends. That’s the beauty of a small town and I love it. Who knows, maybe next year you’ll see me in the parade.