Every year the city of Shawnee hosts a Christmas parade on the first Thursday evening of December. Some years it is bitter cold and other times it is mild, but every year there are several floats, dancers, bands, cars, motorcycles, candy and of course Santa Claus riding on the big fire truck at the end of the parade. Families line up along Main Street in anticipation for the evening's events.
The first several years we lived here we never would go because it always seemed we would forget when it would be held and then about the time we thought about it, we had missed it.
For the last several years we have been attending and it is becoming a tradition we enjoy.
We pack a bag full of blankets and hats and gloves and then fill a thermos full of coffee and hot chocolate with extra cups to enjoy a warm beverage during the festivities and if we remember we take along some goodies as well.
This year our parade was held on December 1st and what an appropriate activity to enjoy on the very first day of the Christmas season. The weather had been pretty nice all week and then a cold front blew through in the early evening and the weather dipped into the low 50s to start and would eventually drop well into the 30s later that night, but for the parade it was 50 degrees with hints of colder weather on the way when the wind would blow.
We loaded up our hot chocolate and blankets and put our hats and coats on and went downtown Shawnee to enjoy the parade. Below is a picture of one of the most unique floats from the parade festivities. This will be the first of many Christmas activities for our family this year. Stay tuned for more.
