GENTRY -- With an outstanding combination of theme, lights and music, the Gentry Library and Friends won the Champion award at the Gentry Chamber of Commerce Christmas parade Saturday evening. The float, that depicted "Gentry Merchantile," was representative of the Gentry Library with lights and Christmas songs by Elvis.
The overall best theme award, "Christmas in my Home Town," went to Bloomfield 4-H. The best lights award went to Gentry's Community Christian School. The Gentry High School band performed Christmas music throughout the evening, but the highlight was watching and hearing them play Little Drummer Boy as they led the parade down Main Street. They won the best music and sound award.
The Best Wild Card award went to Families and Friends at South Little Avenue. This group built a float and drove a decorated antique truck, while little ones rode on decorated bicycles throwing Christmas candies and adults passed out Christmas gifts to small children along the parade route.
The parade was one of the best Gentry Christmas parades ever, both in quality and quantity. Some of the other displays included the appearance of Santa Claus, the Wild Wilderness Safari with camels and wise men, sheep and llamas, a motorcycle club with the lit up motorcycles, McDonalds, several four wheelers, a beautiful and large group of horses, veteran floats, decorated side-by-side four-wheelers, McKee Foods truck, decorated backhoes and lots of firetrucks and police cars.
Earlier in the day, the Chamber of Commerce hosted an afternoon with Santa at the Chamber building where about 200 children were served hot chocolate and cookies and given the opportunity to talk to Santa about their Christmas wishes.
General News on 12/17/2014