As Christmas lights and decorations go up in the City of Brewton, the Greater Brewton Area Chamber of Commerce is now planning the 2011 Christmas Parade.
The parade will be held Saturday, Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. with a rescheduled date of Saturday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. if the parade is cancelled due to inclement weather.
“People can register by filling out a form for us,” Judy Crane, Executive Director of the Greater Brewton Area Chamber of Commerce Said. “We must have a form on file to be in line-up. We have had a few turn in forms already. The early registration deadline is Friday, Nov. 18. Santa will be riding on fire truck throwing candy. It’s a great time for everyone to come out enjoy the parade and do some Christmas shopping with our local merchants. There is no entry fee to enter and prize money will be given.”
The parade will line up in East Brewton on Shoffner Street. It will travel down Forrest Avenue, over the bridge on Mildred Street, to the main intersection at the railroad tracks. It will turn onto St. Joseph Street to Belleville Avenue and will disband on side streets of McLellan, Rankin and Granberry.
Crane said this year’s parade will not have a particular theme although the theme chosen most pertain to Christmas.
“The Chamber Board of Directors has set up the following guidelines,” Crane said. “Each entry must be decorated in accordance with the theme of the parade and must be appropriate for children. Each entry is allowed one additional vehicle with the float and candy must be thrown away from floats and onto the sidewalk for safety reasons. A float can be towed or put on a flat bed truck. The Chamber will have the only Santa in the parade. Each entry must register with the Chamber before entering the parade and a release form must be signed before an entry is allowed in the parade.”
The total number of prizes will depend on the number of floats entered. If six or less is entered, three cash prizes will be offered. First place will be $300, second place $200 and third place $100. If seven or more floats enter, an additional $100 prize will be offered.
All floats must be in place by 12:45 p.m.
Judging criteria will be judged on difficulty, imagination and uniqueness, attention to detail, recognition of theme, costuming and overall appearance. Bonus points will be added for use of electricity, handmade decorations, handmade costumes and moving parts on the float.
“The Brewton/East Brewton Christmas Parade can only be a success if you take part,” Crane said. “Each year several thousand people line the streets to enjoy the parade. Let’s all join together to make this the best Christmas parade our community has even had while providing a safe, family-oriented experience.”
Please contact the Chamber of Commerce office at (251) 867-3224 or by fax at 809-1793 for more information.
Please return forms to: Chamber of Commerce, 1010-B Douglas Avenue, Brewton, AL, 36426.