Herald photos by Rose Hooper and Lynn Hotaling
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A whole new chapter unfolded in downtown Sylva during Tuesday nightıs "Storybook" Christmas Parade.
This event was like reading the ending of a good book first as the parade assembled at Keeco, picked up those on foot at Green's Auto Service, and headed down Main Street towards the old Jackson County Courthouse and the Tree of Remembrance. The reverse parade route, a suggestion of Sylva Police Chief Jeff Jamison, worked well, said parade organizer Betty Foxx. Jamison was also pleased. "As far as traffic control, it worked really well for us," he said. "Of course, we had a few glitches, but, overall, people were able to get in and out much easier." As the crowd gathered and the temperatures dropped into the 30s, people kept warm by drinking hot drinks from vendors and eating hot dogs provided by members of Black Mountain Baptist Church. Holiday caroling on the steps of Sylva First Baptist Church warmed spirits as well. The overall flavor of the nighttime event could be described as "enthusiastic." Those on the floats shouted holiday greetings to a vocal crowd, which responded by clapping and cheering. "They marched, they danced, they tumbled, they strolled, they rode and they floated down Main Street, all telling their own enthusiastic story in this magical night of a Storybook Christmas," one observer noted. |
