Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Farmington parade, holiday market set
FARMINGTON — Farmington canceled its Christmas parade last year because of the covid pandemic but is ready to celebrate this year with a new parade route, a holiday market, tree lighting and visits with Santa Claus.
The new holiday market, which will feature local and area vendors, will open at 2 p.m. Dec. 4, in the grassy field next to Farmington Public Library on Cimarron Place.
The Christmas Parade will begin at 6 p.m. Dec. 4. It will start at the Farmington Sports Complex at 323 Southwinds Drive, travel north on Southwinds and turn onto Cimarron Place to go in front of the library. Parade entries then will cross Main Street and go onto Rheas Mill Road before stopping in the Farmington Junior High parking lot.
Farmington Area Chamber of Commerce, along with Busy Bees Canning Co., of West Fork, is hosting the Christmas market, parade and other activities. Festivities next to the library will include the Christmas tree lighting, visits with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, live music from Inside Out Studio in Farmington and face painting.
Vendor applications and parade entries are still being accepted by Busy Bees, which has helped the chamber and city this year by coordinating the Farmington Farmers Market and the Farmington Fall Festival.
There is a non- refundable $30 application fee for market vendors and parade floats, with no fee charged for nonprofit and school organizations. The fee for parade entries, such as antique vehicles, will be $15.
The deadline to sign up as a parade entry or vendor is today. As of Nov. 18, 23 vendors had signed up for the holiday market and 29 floats were registered for the parade, according to Chance Smith with Busy Bees.
Joshua Frye, chamber president, said the goal for years has been to move the parade off U.S. 62 because it is a state highway with many access points along the route.
Previously, the parade has started at Folsom Elementary School and then gone onto U.S. 62 Highway. As an example, Frye said a section of U.S. 62 in Farmington was closed for an hour during the 2019 parade.
“There just hasn’t been a good alternate route,” Frye said, adding he hopes the new route on Southwinds will be a good fit for everyone.
To help with visibility for spectators along the route, the city has agreed to rent portable lights to set up along Southwinds.
Another plus, Fry said, is that the sport park’s parking lot is bigger and has better lighting for the parade lineup at 5 p.m.
“I think it’s a welcomed change to get it off Highway 62,” he said.
The trailer for parade judges and the parade emcee, Clayton Williams, a chamber board member and assistant principal at Farmington High, will be set up on Cimarron Place across from the Farmington Post Office.