Some years ago, Barb Koblich of Holly Springs shared her story with us about her first time at the parade in 1993. As most of us know, the Town started to grow sometime around 1991, taking us from under 1,000 residents to the booming town it is today, somewhere north of 50,000 residents.
Photos from the 1987 parade show a different event than the one you’ll be able to attend this year.
We’re going to start by taking you back to Barb’s story about a small town trying to assemble a parade with humble beginnings, a parade that has turned into a huge event.
Living in a town named Holly Springs, you just know it’s going to be wonderful around the “holly-days.” My very first Christmas parade was in 1993. We were barely unpacked after moving into our new home in Remington. I was so excited.
My family lined up along Raleigh Street, joined by what I can only assume was the entire town based on the number of people in attendance. Parade entries included classic cars, a marching band (I think it was Apex High School), the Helping Hand Mission Band, the SOT (Save Our Town) with a nicely decorated pickup truck, beautiful horses, a couple of fire trucks from our then volunteer fire department, and Santa. The whole parade was over in 10 minutes. When the parade was over, we were treated to a live concert from Tommy Pope and the Troubadours from his front porch on Raleigh Street.
The following year, less than two weeks before the parade date, newly hired town clerk Joni Powell was told in passing that one of her duties was that she was responsible for the parade. She got on the phone and made some calls to contacts from her reporter days with the Fuquay Independent. Joni lined up the Fuquay-Varina High School band and a float company to add to the list of the regular entries. A year or two later, I joined Joni to help her with her parade duties, first as a volunteer then as a co-worker. Several years passed and the Kiwanis Club came on the scene to help coordinate the many tasks associated with the parade. Soon, members Alex Guess, Joe La Farro and Jimmy Cobb would join to help out. Jimmy would attend dressed up as the Grinch, and bring in a different kind of Christmas spirit. Unfortunately, they knew as much about parade line-up and exit as we did.
Local residents Tim & Faye Congleton would entertain the crowds with Christmas tunes whilst the attendees awaited Police Chief John Herring leading the way for the VFW Color Guard to start the procession. Back in the day, when the town did not have a stage, the Congeltons sang and emceed from the back of public works director Luncie McNeil’s pickup truck.
Way back in 1997, a new local dance studio joined the parade. The Holly Springs School of Dance has become synonymous with the Holly Springs parade, with their stunning Christmas outfits and synchonized dancing. Some years, it’s also a chance to see the dancers as they return fresh from NYC after performing in the world-famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. School of Dance owner Marilyn Chappell tells us, “The Holly Springs Christmas Parade has always been one of our favorite traditions. This season will mark our 28th performance in the parade. Although we love performing on a big stage such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, there is something so magical about the hometown crowd.”
Starting in 2008, The Kiwanis Club of Holly Springs managed the parade, until 2023, shortly before the club was dissolved, and the Town reclaimed ownership. The Kiwanas Club made some changes when they first took over. Prior to Kiwanas, the parade was free to participate in, and lasted almost three hours. They reorganized the parade, to make it a fund-raising event, and were also able to cut the parade time in half. There are currently around 100 different groups that participate in the parade.
“Suburban Living” magazine launched the first issue in July of 2014. That year, we were at the parade taking photos. Little did we know at that time, that the parade would even grow from there, and that we were catching photos that would be used eleven years later. Town Commons and The Block didn’t exist yet. The photos were taken at the lot that would become Town Commons years later. One of our favorite photos from that day was Joe Harasti from the Holly Springs Fire Department and his new puppy, Cinder.
In 2019, local celeb Don “Big Weather” Schwenneker from ABC 11 joined the emceeing team. Don shared his thoughts on the parade with us. “The town asked if I’d like to be part of it, and I jumped at the chance. I co-host it with Tim Congleton, who has been emceeing since the first Holly Springs Parade over 30 years ago. He and singer Tommy Pope remember when it was a few conversion vans with speakers hanging out of them. Today, it’s SO much bigger. My kids had all marched in it for various groups, and when they grew up and out of it, I thought my days of being involved were over. Now I get the best seat in the house, and I love it because I get to see neighbors I’ve known for years, as well as new residents of the town. It is truly an honor and a poignant reminder of just how special the holidays are, and how special the place where I celebrate them is.”
The Happy Holly Days Parade is held on Main Street, rain or shine, the second Saturday of December, and features a wide variety of entries, including floats, marching bands, dancers, horseback riders, Scout troops and school and civic groups, and other entries.
