Parade set to usher in holidays

By: From Staff Reports | McDowell News
Published: November 19, 2009

Marion will kick off the holiday season on Sunday with the annual Christmas parade down Main Street. Along with the festivities, parade goers can donate food for the less fortunate.
The 2009 Christmas parade is scheduled for 3 p.m., Sunday. It is organized by the Marion Business Association and sponsored by the city of Marion.
The theme this year is "Hometown Christmas."
Outgoing Mayor Everette Clark will be the parade marshal. He is being recognized for his 24 years of service as mayor. McDowell's own award-winning McDowell High marching band will be featured at the beginning of the parade.
All parade entries must be registered with a registration number, which has to be displayed. The entry has to be fully decorated with a Christmas theme, with all passengers loaded when arriving for parade line-up. Any entry not registered with a number and decorated will be turned away at line-up. Antique cars are not required to be decorated, but are required to have a registration number, according to the Marion Business Association.
Emergency vehicles with public address systems are requested to play Christmas music.
No candy is allowed to the thrown from any vehicle or float. Handouts by persons walking in the parade route are acceptable and encouraged.
The MBA and the city of Marion will sponsor the only Santa Claus. No other Santa will be allowed on the route. Churches may have only one bus/unit in the parade and it must be decorated.
Line-up begins at 1:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Rose's. All parade vehicles are to enter Robinson Road behind Rose's and come into the parking lot. Vehicles will then be entered into line-up.
Horses will line-up on Bakersville Road, off Montevista Avenue. Trailers will be taken to the city's Public Works Department behind the Hook & Anchor. Horses will continue together as a unit to Public Works. All horses are to remain on Montevista and Bakersville Road until placed into line-up. No horses are allowed in shopping center parking lot.
The parade procession will begin at Montevista and North Main Street and will finish at Spring Street. Walking units will enter the parade at the Community Building. The parade is to stay together until it reaches Morgan Street and all entries are to go to the end of the parade route before disbanding. Children on floats are to be picked up at the Hook & Anchor on Rutherford Road.
For more information and to register, contact Bobbie Young at 652-2215.
During the parade, folks can help the needy have a happier Christmas.
The 2009 Marion parade will sponsor a community food drive for the McDowell Mission on Sunday. Trucks will be parked beside the courthouse and the gazebo during the parade for food collection.
The McDowell Mission has seen a great increase this year of requests for food. With the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, they will have many more requests from their pantry, said MBA officials.
McDowell Mission Ministries began in August 1993. Bill Warren, executive director since 2006, was with the Mission on that August day when it opened in 1993, as a volunteer. He asks each of us to remember the needs in the community, especially now, since McDowell County's unemployment rate is more than 15 percent. This year, requests for food are up more than 20 percent, and donations of food, money, and volunteer's time, is down.
Bring your canned food to the Marion Christmas parade on Sunday. Trucks will be in the driveway beside the courthouse and in the driveway at the gazebo.

Parade set to usher in holidays

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