Who doesn’t love
a Christmas parade!
The Charleston Christmas parade is set for Saturday at 5 p.m., while the Tutwiler Christmas parade is planned for Saturday, Dec. 18, at 4 p.m.
Both events are familiar community celebrations of the Christmas season and are a nice way to bring everyone together for a festive time.
Charleston’s parade will be a nighttime affair for the first time in eight years and for only the sixth time in the past 30 years. The last time the city’s parade participants had to navigate streets in the dark was on Dec. 5, 2013.
Tutwiler is familiar with late-afternoon and evening parades. They have conducted many over the years, and most townspeople are used to the process of safely traveling to and from, and the best vantage points to gaze upon the spectacle.
We are sure police and other officials will do all they can to ensure that both of these parades are enjoyable and, above all, safe for everyone.
The darkness offers some unique challenges and some added uncertainties, especially when moving vehicles pass through an area where pedestrians are amassed on both sides of the street and where overeager children may forget their surroundings. Add colorful lights, tossed candy and a plump man in a red Santa suit to the mix, and you have a mesmerizing experience for the very little ones.
This makes it all the more crucial for parents, grandparents — whomever — to keep a short leash on their youngsters and to always know where they are while attending the parade.
Come to think of it, especially this time of year when there are so many grinches roaming around, that is good advice wherever you may go.
ay scams, visit the FBI at www.fbi.gov/holidayscams.
