Christmas parade ushers in holiday season
Pioneer RV Park wishes Bandera a Merry Christmas during the Cowboy Christmas Parade last Saturday. BULLETIN PHOTO/Tracy Thayer
The spirit of Christmas was evident in the air as the Bandera Christmas parade wound its way down Main Street on Saturday. The parents, children and community members who came to watch all had smiles and enjoyed the wonder of it all.
Even though the weather was balmy, and the sky overcast, the crowd did not let that get them down. As Christmas songs played at the Courthouse, it was more like a tropical holiday rather than one filled with snow and sleigh bells.
The parade participants eagerly threw candy to the children who lined the parade route. Some adults even got into that action. Everything in the parade was festooned with red, green, and sparkly festive glitter. The favorite of the day seemed to be the Church’s Chickenmobile decorated up in a red Santa cape and holiday attire. Entrants in the parade
Entrants in the parade sported holiday Santa hats in red and green, with some candy stripes thrown in. The most unusual costume came from a pair of cowgirls who dressed as gingerbread cookies with sprinkled glitter on their horses as well. They had big smiles as they rode down Main Street.
Ms. Kelly’s Dance Studio brought a large contingent of big and little cheerleaders and dancers. They twirled down the parade route stopping to perform for the crowd. The Bandera High School Cheerleaders brought a bulldog blue Christmas to the crowd as they marched proudly down Main.
Plenty of dog owners brought their pooches to the parade. Even the Lake Shore Firedog, a lovely large Dalmatian, was on hand to look over the event and keep the crowd safe. He took the look out from the passenger’s seat as their fire truck slowly rolled through town.
To end the parade, Santa drove into town in a bright red Trans Am to the excitement of the crowd. Sporting a Bandera appropriate cowboy hat, Santa waved to the crowd as the children munched on candy and adults sighed over the beginning of the holiday season.
Everyone wandered off to either visit the Main Street market vendors in front of the Courthouse or do some more holiday shopping on Main Street.