Larry leads Lighted Christmas Parade
By Donnie A. Lucas
Thanks to a lot of hard working by volunteers and some cooperation from the weather, the annual Lighted Christmas Parade and drawings associated with the Small Town Saturday came off without a hitch, according to Chamber of Commerce officials.
A total of $2,500 in Albany bucks was given out to local shoppers in a series of three drawings prior to the parade.
“I think everything went spectacularly well, especially considering the football game was moved and the weather earlier in the day,” parade chairman Megaen Birdwell said. “We had 22 entries in the parade, and there was a really good Hallmark vibe to whole evening.”
Organizers opted to keep plans to hold the parade on Saturday evening after the playoff football game was moved to Saturday afternoon in San Angelo due to weather conditions on Friday.
“It just went so smoothly, and everyone was relaxed,” Birdwell said. “People were milling around going into the stores and waiting for the parade.”
She added that several merchants she spoke to said they had one of their better parade day sales totals.
The three sets of drawings were held earlier in the afternoon, giving away Albany Bucks based on tickets drawn. Shoppers were given an entry ticket by participating businesses for each $10 in purchases.
“Lisa Barton handled the drawing, and it also went off well,” Birdwell said. “She put in a lot of volunteer time on organizing the tickets and the drawings.”
Since winners did not have to be present to win this year, several of the winning tickets were from non-residents.
The winner of the top prize of $300 in Albany Bucks was Damika Hill. Several other prizes for $50, $75, $150 and $200 were also handed out.
Winners will be able to spend Albany Bucks at any of the following locations:
Great Moments Barber Shop, Blanton-Caldwell Trading Company, Me & Mrs. Jones, Buds For You, Rustic Charm, Clear Fork Coffee, Sassifrass, Erline’s, The Albany News, Southern Comfort Boutique, EZ Feed, Vintage Vanilla, Gannon & Grace Children’s Boutique, and local restaurants.
The deadline to redeem the script is January 31, 2023.
Parade Winners
Prizes were also awarded for the top three entries in the parade.
First place was awarded to a mule-drawn wagon entered by Lazy 3 Ranch, with Henry Musselman and Brendan Fikes at the helm. The entry was awarded $250.
A prize of $150 in cash went to Angel Pacanins and family for second place. He entered a trailer with a scene from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
The third place award of $100 was given to the Carter Christmas Crew with their decked-out Christmas golf cart.
Recently retired UPS driver Larry Loveland was the Honorary Parade Marshal. He was accompanied by his wife, Melody.
“Larry had the time of his life,” Birdwell said. “He was so happy to see people. He even jumped down and gave out hugs.”
Birdwell thanked Jacob Cleveland and Shannon Leech for helping line up the entries and Pam Davis for serving as the announcer. She also thanked the three judges.
Decorating Contest
The Chamber is also sponsoring a house decorating contest again this year, with cash awards going to the top three places.
Residents must be entered to be judged, either by signing up themselves or being nominated by a neighbor or friend.
The deadline for judging is Friday, Dec. 16, with winners announced the following day.
Entries can be sent by email or on Facebook, or by calling the Chamber office at 325-762-2525.
Houses to be judged must include the name of the resident, address, and a phone number in case the judges need more directions.
