Wednesday, the annual Holiday Caravan marched, drove and danced through town and onlookers said it just didn’t “feel right.”

“It doesn’t feel like a Christmas parade, as warm as it is,” Sherry Hargrave of Spencer said. “It is 74 degrees,” she tells her friends as they begin using free flyers to fan themselves.

And the crowd’s attire agreed with the ladies. Babies weren’t traditionally “bundled up,” most kids were running around with their coats tied around their waists and other attendants piled sweaters up to use as seat cushions.

It wasn’t your traditional Christmas parade.

But the floats, the concessions, the band music and the decorations went on as regularly scheduled — weather or not.

Donna Richard of Rockwell scanned over a cart of parade souvenirs. This year Pokémon, Blue’s Clues and alien garb overflowed the rack.

She bought her 1 1/2-year-old son Harrison an inflatable, squeaky blue dog.

While the toddler caught on to waving to the parade members with his new toy, Keith and Taylor Moose of Salisbury stretched their necks to see the next float coming down the road. Their mother, Deanna, and Shannon Morgan of Rockwell, stood behind them with Harrison and his mother: “Look Harrison, say ‘Hello’ to the cheerleaders,” one of the women said.

From Spencer to Salisbury people lined the streets. The store owners who stayed open for business peered out the window at the crowd, a few even stood in the doorway to enjoy the warm weather.

The light poles were decorated and the Square was beautifully lit by white bulbs. But Randy Hemann said all of the decorations weren’t put up. The contractor’s bucket truck broke down and they were unable to finish before the parade started.

Doubtful Keysha Brown of Granite Quarry noticed. She stood on the sidewalk looking for friends in the parade. “Shelly, Shelly,” she yelled, waving uncontrollably.

The beat of the marching band kept her friends’ attention and Brown began looking for another familiar face on a upcoming float.

Like many entries in the parade, this float had people walking beside it handing out candy — they can’t toss it anymore.

And following the float, the North Rowan marching band roared through and everyone seemed to dance with the drums’ steady beat.

But the most anticipated event was the final one. Both 6-year-old Taylor Moose and her 5-year-old brother Keith kept a wide eye open for the jolly gift giver. And in the end, Santa was there, waving and smiling.

Following the parade, the winners of the 1999 Holiday Caravan Contest were named:

Bands — Ashe County High School Band, Honor Band, first; North Rowan High School, second; West Rowan High School, third.

Front Line Awards — Ashe County High School, Best Drum Major(s); Ashe County High School, Best Flag Squad; East Rowan High School, Best Drill Team.

Dance Groups — Toni Hudson Dance Company, first place; Step Team Gospel, honorable mention.

Professional Floats — Food Lion, first place; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, second; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., third.

Non-professional Floats — Alpha Alpha Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, first place; Rufty-Holmes Senior Center, second; Salisbury Center Genesis ElderCare, third.

Non-professional/non-business — Calvary Baptist Tabernacle, first place; Immanuel Lutheran Church, second; Ursinus United Church of Christ, Third Place.