Winter weather joins the Spruce Pine Christmas Parade
Floats lit up an icy winter night for the Spruce Pine Christmas Parade Saturday.
With the temperature dipping just below freezing, Spruce Pine’s parade goers employed different methods to keep warm. Some crowded the bars at the Mad Hatter Tavern and the Distillery, while others brought thermoses of hot coffee with them.
Stores still open along the parade’s route on Oak Street were thronged with spectators waiting for the start of the event before finding a place on the street. A few were heard cursing their lack of foresight in dressing for a wintry night. Yet, as soon as the parade began winding its way through town, the crowd became more animated.
Bigger and more elaborate than last summer’s Fourth of July Parade, participants ran the gamut of long-established businesses, such as Spruce Pine Florist, to the new YMCA. There were the usual church groups, marching bands, and lines of emergency vehicles, but there were also new entries in store.
Having become a common sight after last year’s disaster, a convoy of dump trucks snaked down Upper Street (Oak Avenue) all lit with colored lights.
Led by Blue Ridge Homecare’s float of swans, a reminder of the “Twelve Days of Christmas” carol, the floats that followed featured festive superheroes, Blue Ridge Regional Hospital’s winter wonderland scene (complete with blowing snow), and, as the traditional end of a Christmas parade, Santa and Mrs. Claus on their sleigh with reindeer, courtesy of Mitchell County Chamber EDC.
The parade had other Santas, but far more Grinches than Santas. The classic Dr. Seuss character appeared in a variety of contexts.
Altec Industries of Burnsville had the Grinch in Santa’s sleigh being pulled by reindeer, rather than Max the dog.
Other Grinches were employed by Mountain Top Tanning, Trinity Car Brokers, Mitchell County Animal Rescue, and Shane Vance, who is running for Mitchell County Sheriff.
On Vance’s float, the Grinch was trapped in a jail cage, while a chorus riding the float chanted “free the Grinch.”
The amount of candy tossed from the floats and dignitaries’ cars to the children along the route required candy sweepers with brooms, who swept the sweets toward the kids, keeping them from running out into the street.
At the end of the parade, people ventured down to the pocket park on Locust Street for the lighting of the town’s Christmas tree, while others returned to the restaurants and bars to celebrate and thaw out.