Christmas parade route takes a detour: Organizers reverse direction, prohibit candy from being thrown
With safety issues at the forefront, organizers of this year’s Christmas parade are making plans for a number of changes.
Most notably, the parade route is expected to be different and nothing, including candy, is allowed to be thrown by participants. Organizers are also prohibiting tractor trailers from participating.
Members of the city’s Safety Committee approved those changes and others Monday after discussion with parade organizers from Leadership Warren.
The parade is expected to be run backwards. It will progress from the Civic Center, follow Morford Street east, turn onto Sparta Street and then progress from Sparta Street to Main Street traveling west. It officially ends at The Tire Mart on West Main Street.
Leadership Warren Christmas parade co-chair Larry Flatt said the changes are a continuing effort for safety since the organization began sponsoring the parade. Last year’s parade was marred by the death of Ronda Thomas, 36, who was run over by a tractor trailer.
Flatt said the new route eliminates two cramped turns near Hardee’s on West Main Street. Last year, the parade officially began at The Tire Mart to avoid congestion there.
“For the last two years, we’ve had an extremely difficult time maneuvering around Hardee’s because the crowd wants to get out into the street,” Flatt said, noting one idea for last year was to include Chancery Street in the route, but that idea was not well received.
The parade begins at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 7 and is expected to last approximately 1-1/2 hours.
Other regulations approved by the Safety Committee Monday, among others, are:
• All entries are expected to decorate to the theme “Christmas Lights the World with Love;”
• Lights are required on every entry;
• The maximum float/entry size is 40 feet long by 10 feet wide by 12 feet high;
• Floats or trailers shall be pulled by a farm tractor, car, horse(s), or pickup truck no larger than 1 ton in size.
Flatt said entry forms should be available at local banks by Monday and said a detailed route will be provided at a later time.