Holidays kicks off with parade

Juan A. Navejar Jr.

The Holiday Season has arrived. With the weather turning a bit chilly, the mood has been set for a joyful Christmas.
The season kicked off officially with the 31st Annual Christmas with large crowds lined up along the parade route. The cool temp had many in their coats, sweaters, jackets and blankets as they waited for the lighting of downtown and the arrival of Santa Claus.
Before turning on the lights in downtown, Alice Mayor John Lemon welcomed the crowd.
“Isn’t this great to see so many of you out here,” the mayor said.
And with that, the official countdown from ten to zero and the flipping of the switch commenced.
Along the route kids cheered and clapped as they saw floats all decked out in lights, the marching band playing Christmas music and of course the arrival of Santa Claus at the end of the parade.
“This was truly a unique parade as we saw some great participation not just locally but from our neighboring towns,” Alice Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Juan Navejar said. “All the entries were quite unique in keeping with the theme of an All American Christmas.”
This year’s parade winners were: Best Performance – Alice High School Jr ROTC, Best Church Entry – Alice Area A.C.T.S., Most Unique – Alice Heart and Vascular Center, Best Out of Town – Brooks County Fair Association, Best Youth – Freer 4th of July Royalty, Best Commercial Float – H-E-B Food Store, Best School Entry – Alice High School Band and Best Decorated Vehicle – In Motion.
The parade and lighting of downtown is sponsored by the Alice Chamber of Commerce/Convention Visitors Bureau and the City of Alice.