Tradition marches on as Santa caps annual parade
YARDiEY BOROrGH – Tradition. That’s what family and friends enjoyed as they gathered along South Main Street in anticipation of the annual Old cashioned Christmas parade. As the parade would go by, everyone anticipated the arrival of nightfall with Santa riding high above everyRQH RQ D YDUGOHy-0DkHfiHOG fiUH WUuFk. 7KH sky wRuOG EH jet black and the lights would be very bright. His arrival - the icing on the cake on Saturday, Dec. 1. Amber Range, 10, a fourth-grader at nuarry Hill Elementary School, sat nestled under a blanket with a zebra pattern. She donned a hat with rainbow-colored stripes. She was sitting next to her brother, iogan, T, a secondgrader at nuarry Hill. He was being very shy. His blanket had peace symbols on it.
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Their mom, iori, was standing nearby. “We come here every year,” she said. “It’s a tradition. Actually we sit in the same spot every year.”
“I’m looking forward to the parade,” Amber said, as the hands of the nearby Mayor’s Clock in front of borough hall ticked away. “It’s a really cool parade. And I think it’s fun to come here every year and watch exciting things.”
curther down Main Street, a group of pre-teens were sitting on the curb. They were celebrating hyra Shelly’s 11th birthday.
In addition to the parade and going horseback riding earlier in the day, they were looking forward to a sleep over and pizza party later that night.
“There’s Pooh!” Shelly said with excitement as the life-size storybook character walked down Main Street with a host of other characters, including Shrek, the Grinch, Elmo, Taz, Woody, the Cat in the Hat, Batman and Sponge Bob Squarepants, signaling the start of the parade. “Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! I have to hug him.” And she did -- very happily.
One of Shelly’s girlfriends, Emmy Scheg, 10, D fiIWK-gUDGHU, REsHUYHG, “, live right down that road, but I’ve never been at the parade. It’s really cool. I
can’t wait!”
The sights and sounds of the Christmas parade brought plenty of smiles.
George Washington, accompanied by a group of RevoluWiRnDry WDr rH-HnDcWRrs, “flRDWHG” GRwn WhH pDrDGH rRuWH in a giant Durham Boat.
He was escorted by a group of Revolutionary War re-enactors, from Glover’s regiment, who stopped every few hunGrHG IHHW WR firH D PuskHW sDluWH.
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OI cRursH, PDking WhH EiggHsW scHnH RI WhH nighW wDs SDnWD, who waved to the hundreds of people lining the parade route IrRP D YDrGlHy-MDkHfiHlG firH Wruck. YRungsWHrs MuPpHG up and down with excitement as their parents caught the magical moment on video.
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The Claddagh Academy of Irish Dance brought between 25 WR 30 girls GrHssHG in grHHn WR WhH pDrDGH. ThHy clickHG WhHir hHHls GRwn SRuWh MDin SWrHHW Ds WhH grRup PDGH iWs pDrDGH GHEuW. )RllRwing WhH IHsWiYH PDrch, sRPH RI WhH girls rested on a bench at the Yardley Borough Hall.
)rDncHscD MullDghy, 14, Dn HighWh-grDGHr DW WilliDP PHnn MiGGlH SchRRl, wDs DPRng WhHP. ShH hDs EHHn GDncing wiWh the group for about eight years.
“It went pretty well,” Mullaghy said. “It’s a good event for the community.”
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SHYHnWh grDGHr AnWhRny CHlli, 12, wHnW WR WhH pDrDGH wiWh his pDrHnWs, SDnGrD DnG -RH. “,’YH EHHn gRing WR WhH pDrDGH HYHry yHDr,” WhH YDrGlHy BRrRugh rHsiGHnW sDiG. “, Whink iW’s still very good. And I hope everybody has a safe holiday.
“Merry Christmas,” he said to all as he was being interviewed.
His Dad has lived in town for nearly four decades. “It rePinGs PH RI EHing hHrH IRr sR lRng wiWhRuW kiGs DnG whHn Py kiGs wHrH liWWlH,” hH sDiG RI WhH pDrDGH. “NRw, Py kiGs are big.”
“,W’s D nicH PHPRry,” CHlli sDiG. “,W’s MusW nicH WR kHHp cRPing EDck.”
The Yardley Business Association (YBA) sponsored the pDrDGH. YBA prHsiGHnW MDrgDrHW BRrk sDiG WhH HYHnW wDs D smash hit with community spirit that was infectious.
“The parade brings family and friends of all ages together as it offers something for everyone, regardless of age,” she said.
It certainly did that and a whole lot more.