Rotary Club of Sparta has made the decision to move forward with their 75th annual Christmas Parade, on Dec. 12, although there will be several changes to this year’s event in an effort to maintain the safety of participants and the community alike.
“As we continue to battle the rise in COVID cases in our area, we encourage patrons to watch from their cars as much as possible,” Kyle Goff, a Rotary Club member, said. “Masks and social distancing is encouraged for those who watch from the sidewalk.”
Masks and social distancing aren’t the only precautions that will be in place this year, as concerns over traffic control have risen in the past few years.
“We have worked alongside the Sparta Police Department to increase the safety of this event,” Goff explained. “Floats will need reflectors on rear for visibility. Also, the candy distribution will be quite different this
year as we try to avoid several close calls from the past.”
According to Goff, the Rotary Club has made the decision that parade participants will not be allowed to throw candy from their floats. However, if a group has members walking beside their floats, they will be allowed to hand treats to those watching from the sidewalks along the parade route, which will begin at White County High School, on Allen Drive, and proceed to Bockman Way and head east, ending at the courthouse, on Liberty Square.
One concern that arises every year is that of inclement weather, and the consensus usually is that ‘the show must go on.’
“In the past, this parade has taken place in rain and even light snow; cancelling will be a last resort,” Goff said, but added that should the weather create hazardous conditions, the parade committee would make a decision on whether to move forward as soon as they had enough information to do so but indicated that would be a last resort. “If the parade is cancelled, it will not be rescheduled.”
The theme for this year’s parade is “Toyland,” and all clubs, businesses, organizations, and individuals in the community are encouraged to participate. Past parades have included cars, trucks, horses, walkers, and of course floats. Float entries that follow the parade’s theme can enter in a contest to be judged by Rotary members, with cash prizes for the top three floats. First place will win $300, second place will win $200, and third place will win $100.
Line up for all parade participants, whether entering the judging contest or not, will begin at noon, with volunteers directing entries to their respective line-up areas at White County High School, on Allen Drive. Those who wish to enter the float contest must be lined up and in position by 1 p.m. The parade will begin at 2 p.m.
“If you are interested in having a float at the parade, you can download an application at bit.ly/spartarotaryparade,”Goff said.
Applications can be emailed to spartarotary@gmail.com. Follow Rotary Club of Sparta on Facebook for updates.
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