Jeff Kaley
WAURIKA — There’s a crisp chill in the air, and folks have brought out their jackets.
Leaves are turning and loosening their grip on boughs, student are into the second nine weeks of the school year and carved pumpkins have sprouted on porches throughout town.
Halloween is this weekend, and the other two holidays of autumn — Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving — are looming.
Fall has arrived in Waurika.
So what better time to discuss the 2009 Waurika Christmas Parade?
Christmas parade? Already?
It’s just the last week of October, but Melicia McFadden believes now is good time pass along some information and get people thinking about the town’s major winter event.
The annual parade, sponsored by the Waurika Chamber of Commerce, won’t fill Main Street until 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, but the start of a key promotion isn’t far away. And besides, McFadden doesn’t think its too early to begin pondering on parade entries that focus on the 2009 theme, “Christmas Carols.”
“On Nov. 16, the participating merchants will start selling tickets for the ‘Pick a Present’ drawing,” said McFadden, noting the promotion Chamber businesses will be conducting until shortly before the parade begins.
The format for “Pick a Present” is fairly simple: When you buy items at participating merchants, you receive a numbered ticket that’s included in a variety of drawings to be held after the Christmas Parade. The grand prizes in the contest are a Wii Gaming System and a Garmin GPS system.
In regard to parade entries, McFadden said, “Last year, the theme was ‘Christmas Memories,’ and this year the theme is ‘Christmas Carols.’ That should be easy for people to use to come up with ideas for their parade entries. Everyone has a favorite carols, so why not theme your float or your farm equipment or your antique car around it?”
Floats, farm equipment, antique cars, horse-drawn carriages, marching bands and bicycles are among the various divisions in the parade competition. Trophies given in all of the divisions, and entry forms are already available at Waurika City Hall, the Waurika Public Library, Scott Insurance, NAPA Auto Service and Beaver Lumber.
Steve and Anita Goza have agreed to serve as marshals for the parade, and McFadden said Chamber board members are assisting “with doing the leg work” in preparation for the gala event.
Also on parade day, Santa’s Workshop will be held at the library, featuring several activities for youngsters, including a chance to have their photo taken with the Jolly Ol’ Elf.
If it still seems too soon to be thinking about Christmas, consider this: The Waurika Sorosis Club Christmas Tea and Silent Auction, which is the tip-off to the Yule season, is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, at the Rock Island Depot.
