With some cities around the country canceling Christmas parades, the city of Oxford and the North Central Mississippi Realtors have devised a creative plan to have a parade this year, despite COVID-19 restrictions.
This year’s parade will take place from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 7. However, floats and bands will remain in one place while citizens will stay in their cars and drive past the parade in Oxford’s first-ever, drive-thru Christmas parade, dubbed “A Very Merry Hometown Christmas.”
The parade will be held at mTrade Park (formerly FNC Park).
There will be a radio station broadcast for the vehicles to tune in and hear Christmas music during their drive. Floats can have music but it cannot be amplified. Marching Bands will be located in larger areas adjacent to the main route.
“’Santa’ and ‘Mrs. Claus’ will be on their sleigh at the end of the route and our elves will be handing out one bag of candy to each vehicle as they exit the park,” said event chair Linda Allgood with NCMR.
Since spectators must remain in their vehicles, no candy or items will be thrown out from the floats.
Each spot for parade entries is approximately 40 feet long with a 20-foot buffer between entries.
“We will have floats, live performances, etc. just like the normal parade,” Allgood said.
Floats will be judged for the best use of the theme – A Very Merry Hometown Christmas – and trophies will be handed out at the end of the night.
“We are so excited to partner with the city to make needed adjustments and find a way to make this work,” Allgood said.
Volunteers and city officials will be on hand to direct traffic and ensure safety protocols are followed.
There is no fee this year for parade entries but space is limited. To reserve a spot in the parade, contact North Central Mississippi Realtors at ncmbroxford@gmail.com or laine.mitchell@northcentralmsrealtors.com or call 662-281-1360. One person per entry must be the contact person and be available on the day of the event. Someone must provide an email and phone number of a group contact and the name of the group.
In case of inclement weather, the parade will be held on Dec. 8 at the same time and place.
More information about the parade is available on the city of Oxford’s website.
