Christmas parade full of cheer
BUCKHANNON — Hundreds of people lined Main Street Friday evening for the annual Christmas Parade sponsored by the Buckhannon Fire Department.
Despite a chill in the air, the crowd cheered for the many participants, from twirlers to 4H’ers and marching bands to fire trucks, as the parade made its way down Main Street to the Public Safety Complex, where Santa Claus met with local children to hear their holiday wishes. The Buckhannon Fire Department had hot chocolate on tap, along with other refreshments, to warm cold hands after the parade concluded.
Gail and Gary Martin have been coming to the Buckhannon Christmas Parade for the last several years. They moved to the area after living for more than three decades in the Akron area.
The Martins said the atmosphere in Buckhannon is different; it’s more social and much safer than their former community. The holidays also seem to involve more of a sense of community, they said.
“We lived in Akron, Ohio, for 32 years, and there was no such thing as parades,” Gary Martin said. “So, we try to get to all of them we can now.”
Tanya Pharis brought her 10-year-old daughter Alexis and 1-year-old son, Bentlee, to the parade. Pharis is a lifelong resident of the Buckhannon community and enjoys going to the parade each year.
“I’ve lived here my whole life,” she said. “It brings the community together and you get to see a lot of people you know. It’s very cheerful; it’s lovely this time of year.”
Pharis said she appreciated the efforts of the Buckhannon Fire Department in planning and executing the parade. Their work helps make the holidays a little brighter, she said.
Others were from out of town and were drawn to the parade because of family members who were participating. Liam Mayle, 12, of Bridgeport, had a family member in the parade.
When asked what he enjoys most about holiday parades, Mayle said, “The lights.”
Mayor David McCauley said he has enjoyed participating in the community’s parades as mayor since winning the local election in May.
“We’ve done the Strawberry Festival parade in may, the Bicentennial Parade in September and now we’ve come full circle with the Christmas Parade. Buckhannon loves its parades,” McCauley said. “My five grandchildren love them, too, so as long as they’re happy, that’s what matters.”