Holiday Caravan parade heralds Christmas season
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 2, 2009
By Mark Wineka
mwineka@salisburypost
Teddy Rose hadn’t attended a Holiday Caravan parade since he coached youth football and his team rode on one of the floats.
The kids he coached are now coaches themselves ó that’s how long it had been.
Teddy’s wife, Rita, used to play clarinet in the parade as part of the North Rowan High School Band. That was four grown children ago.
So Teddy was a bit surprised Wednesday morning when Rita turned to him and made a declaration.
“She didn’t have to work today, and she said, ‘We’re going to the parade.’ ” Teddy recalled.
Two hours before the Caravan started in Spencer, Teddy backed their Chevy truck up to the sidewalk at Park Plaza, and from chairs in the bed and an open tailgate, they watched the parade go by.
“I like old cars and stuff like that,” Teddy announced. Rita weighed in that she looked forward to the high school bands and Santa Claus’ arrival at the end.
The Holiday Caravan, presented by Rowan Business Alliance and the Spencer Jaycees, turned out to be a great idea for the Roses and the thousands of other Rowan Countians who lined the streets in Spencer and Salisbury Wednesday.
Don’t you just love a parade?
Where else do things such as teen clowns on unicycles, grown men in go-karts, beauty queens in convertibles, the blaring noise of sirens, the thump-thump of marching bands, the precision of ROTC drill teams, the glitter of floats, the purr of old tractors, the antics of mascots, the high steps of dance troupes and the waves of politicians come together?
Generations have depended on the parade ó no matter what the weather ó to signal the start of their holidays. Bright sunshine, barely a breath of wind and light-jacket temperatures in the 60s made the 2008 edition almost perfect.
Vickie Gantt and her mother, Juanita Beck, remembered sitting through and participating in Holiday Caravans that featured snow, rain and sleet as their backdrops.
Gantt, now 55, figured she had been to every parade between 1959 and 1971 but attended only one Holiday Caravan since she was a majorette for North Rowan High.
This year’s Holiday Caravan had a special attraction for Gantt and her mom.
The women watched the parade Wednesday from the back tailgate of a Dodge SUV and waited to catch a glimpse of 2-year-old Kynley Simerson, who is Gantt’s granddaughter and Beck’s great-granddaughter.
Kynley was riding on the Steppin’ Out Dance Company’s float with her mother, Emily.
Kynley caught a glimpse of them across from the parade judges’ railcar and waved enthusiastically. Because the troupe was near the start of the parade, Emily was able to bring her daughter back to the SUV to see most of the rest of the parade.
“She about fell asleep (on the float),” Emily said. “She missed her nap.”
It was Kynley’s first parade to both watch and participate in.
“We figured we might as well do it all at one time,” Emily said. “She’s waiting on Santa.”
Gantt and Beck thrilled in watching Kynleys reaction to everything. It was a lot better than the alternative ó cooking for Thanksgiving.
Freda Truesdale, 26, said she has been attending the Holiday Caravan her whole life.
The same could be said for many people along the parade route.
Truesdale watched things Wednesday with her three children, Tavion, 5, Shakalla, 2 and Sydarius, 2. Freda’s mother, Lucile, also was along.
They said they looked forward to the bands and the ROTCs.
Charlene Swing video-recorded the Salisbury High Air Force Junior ROTC going through its drill in front of the judges. Swing’s daughter, Stephanie, a freshman, was part of the team.
“She was really excited about it,” Swing said. “They’ve been practicing.”
The Salisbury High ROTC received an enthusiastic response from the crowd, as did several other entries, including the flag members of the South Rowan High Band who dressed up as older adults to go with their holiday theme of “To Grandmother’s House We Go.”
The Party Connection wowed viewers with their balloon-heavy “Polar Antics” entry.
The Crescent Cloggers’ float brought a laugh. Someone was sitting in an outhouse at the back of the float reading Wednesday’s edition of the newspaper.
The most touching scene of the day came when members of the Salisbury Fire Department walked the parade route with two of the firefighters carrying the helmets of Justin Monroe and Victor Isler Sr., the men lost in the March 7 fire at Salisbury Millwork.
Many people along the parade route rose and clapped for the men and their department.
Here are the judges’ picks for the 2008 Holiday Caravan:
– Bands ó Ashe County High School (2009 Honor Band), first; Harding University High School, second; Jesse Carson High, third.
– Front Line Awards ó Best Drum Major, Harding University High; Best Flag Squad, Harding University High; Best Drill Team, Salisbury High Air Force Junior ROTC.
– Dance groups ó Dimensions Dance Arts, first.
– Floats (professional) ó Bayada Nurses, first; Dorsett Chapel UCC, second; Kiddieland Kindergarten Royal Court, third.
– Floats (non-professional) ó The Party Connection, first.
– Floats (non-professional/non-business) ó Crescent Cloggers, first; New Hope Baptist, second; Southern Style Cloggers, third.
– General Chairman’s Award ó Crescent Cloggers.
– Executive Director’s Award ó South Rowan High School Band (flag members).
– Best Depiction of “Happy Holiday” Theme (Judges’ Award) ó Rowan County Homeschool Association.
– Best Religious Entry ó Smith Grove Baptist Church.
– Carl E Weinbrunn Award ó The Party Connection.