Fort Oglethorpe’s magical Christmas parade
FORT OGLETHORPE, Ga. (WDEF) – Tonight, Fort Oglethorpe is sprinkling holiday magic in the area by hosting its annual Christmas parade.
Community members from around Walker and Catoosa County came together to enjoy magnificent works of art rolling down the street.
There were beautiful, various floats to be seen, individuals dressed as beloved characters from well-known Christmas movies, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus waiting to greet every good girl and boy.
The parade began at 6:00 p.m. at 402 Battlefield Pkwy in the Big Lots parking lot, as everyone lined up, putting the last finishing touches on the creations they worked so hard on.
The Fort Oglethorpe mayor, Earl Gray, even made an appearance in support of this wonderful Christmas tradition.
He says, “When you see this many people, especially this many kids, everyone loves it. Hey, the kids love it, and there will probably be 5,000–6,000 of those kids out here tonight. And we’re just glad we’re able to do it. We’re fortunate we have great volunteers, great participation, and, as you can see by the number of floats we have, for a small town, this is pretty good.”
Many gathered around, ready to see the lighting of the tree, enjoy tasty sugary treats, and listen to beautiful music played by Lakeview Fort Oglethorpe’s band.
The ladies in the dance line cheered with their pom-poms down the street, as the color guard and band members led the way into the night.
We even got to ask Santa and Mrs. Claus if he’s checked his list twice yet.
He says, “Yes! A lot of good boys and girls on the list. Some of them are walking the line, but most of them are on the good list.”
Mrs. Claus adds, “They better start behaving. They’re close, they’re close. Everybody’s close.”
With all of the community members gathered around, children laughing and playing together, and the pure beauty of everyone’s hard work, tonight feels like a local winter wonderland.
If you missed this year’s Fort Oglethorpe parade, this is an annual event, so make sure to attend next year’s.
