Boone Christmas Parade December 12

Story by Corinne Saunders

The Boone Christmas Parade will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 12, and is themed “Celebration of Christmas,” said Tuesdae Rice, executive director of the Downtown Boone Development Association (DBDA).

Featuring an estimated 40 floats, plus plenty of groups on foot, the parade—always family-friendly—will bring the holiday spirit to town.

Parade participants start at Horn in the West, but the general public should watch from somewhere along West King Street, Rice said.

Rice said that those in the parade are encouraged to hand out candy, because thrown candy can be dangerous, and she also asked that people put wrappers in their pockets until they can throw them in a trash receptacle.

The deadline to apply to be in the parade is Tuesday, December 7, and anyone interested in applying should call the DBDA at 828-262-4532.


Post-Parade Reception at the Library
The Friends of the Watauga County Public Library will host a post-parade reception, featuring live music, immediately after the parade at the library.

Hot chocolate and other hot drinks, along with “lots of cookies,” will be provided, and “kids can sit on Santa’s lap and have their picture taken”—all for free, said Claire Olander, president of the Friends.

People can also browse the shelves and check out books while they are there, and they can also sign up to join the Friends, she added.

In the six years that she has been involved with the Friends, Olander said, the after-parade reception has grown in popularity.

“Families think of it as a tradition now,” she said, adding that the reception is “a great time for them.”

For more information, call Olander at 828-264-8958.

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