Gentry Christmas parade held Saturday night

GENTRY — With near perfect weather for a Christmas parade, Gentry’s annual event brought out crowds of people on Saturday night to line Main Street and watch the band, floats and decorated vehicles go by.

“O Christmas Tree” was the theme for this year’s parade, and the floats certainly conveyed that theme with decorated trees on most and an entire mobile Christmas tree lot on one of the floats.

In addition to the floats and vehicles, there were decorated tricycles, a horse and buggy and numerous equestrian entries in the parade. A neighborhood group from S. Little Avenue, led by David and Beth Calkins, purchased and passed out more than 800 stuffed bears to the children along the parade route. Leftover bears are donated to the State Police to give to children in stressful times.

Gentry High School band provided music as it marched west down Main, and Mayor Kevin Johnston and his wife, Lori, greeted parade goers.

And, of course, bringing up the rear of the parade and riding in the bucket of Engine 32 was Santa Claus, ringing a bell and greeting visitors along the parade route. He also spent the afternoon at the Gentry Chamber office, visiting with children, hearing their Christmas wishes and passing out special goodies.

Winners in the float categories this year included: Best Overall — Victory Baptist Church of Gentry; Best Lights — First Baptist Church of Gentry; Best Music — McDonald’s Restaurant of Gentry; and Best use of theme — Gentry FFA.

Westside Eagle Observer/RANDY MOLL Springtown Stars Adventurer Club, a ministry of Springtown Seventh-day Adventist Church, included a Christmas tree lot on its float in the Gentry Christmas parade on Saturday.

Westside Eagle Observer/RANDY MOLL The McDonald’s float lit up Main Street in Gentry with its use of lights to depict a reindeer and sleigh at the annual Gentry Christmas Parade on Saturday night.

Westside Eagle Observer/RANDY MOLL The overall grand prize winner at the 2017 Gentry Christmas Parade was this float from Victory Baptist Church in Gentry.

Westside Eagle Observer/RANDY MOLL A neighborhood group, Friends and Neighbors from S. Little Avenue, entered a float in the Gentry Christmas parade on Saturday.

Westside Eagle Observer/RANDY MOLL Living Water Ministries of Decatur displayed a nativity scene in its float in the Gentry Christmas parade on Saturday.

Westside Eagle Observer/RANDY MOLL Santa Claus rode in the bucket of a Gentry Fire Department ladder truck during the Gentry Christmas parade on Saturday, while a drone flew just behind him.

Westside Eagle Observer/RANDY MOLL A number of specially lighted tricycles accompanied a van from Dogwood Junction.

Westside Eagle Observer/RANDY MOLL The Gentry FFA won the Main Street Award in the parade on Saturday.