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.
That following year, newly hired town clerk Joni Powell was told in passing that one of her duties was that she was responsible for the parade, less than two weeks before the parade date. 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.
As the population of Holly Springs grew, so did the number of entries. We started to see the Girl & Boy Scout troops, YMCA Guides and Princesses, sports teams, school groups, more bands, more businesses to rent floats, civic groups and non-profits that proudly wanted to be part of the excitement of the day. I must admit, the first year the Golden Hawks Regiment from Holly Springs High School came marching down the street, I was so proud!
Although we usually made it look seamless and effortless, it’s an orchestration akin to herding cats. There were sometimes up to 1500 children walking, dogs that were afraid of sirens or horns, horses that get spooked by fire trucks, walkers avoiding horse “piles,” motorcycles and mini race cars. There’s always that time when we were watching the weather forecast 10 days out and praying. We’ve had non-profits geared up and ready to sell hot cocoa and the temps turned out to be in the high 80s that day. There was a freezing sleety rain one year, yeah that year was not so much fun. I assure you that you do not want to smell the Grinch costume after it’s been soaked by rain. It’s got the aroma of a 6-foot green wet dog.
But, all in all when you see the faces of the little cub scouts attempting to keep in step, the cherub smiles of the little angels in the Holly Springs School of Dance, marching bands proud in their uniforms playing to their home-town, or Cinder the fire dog prancing to his adoring fans… it makes the planning, work and fretting all worthwhile.
In addition to the parade, we have Main Street Christmas with its Norman Rockwell painting appeal. Eager children waiting in line to sit on Santa’s lap, while Mrs. Claus reads to the children down at the Cultural Center. Businesses set up tables offering hot cocoa while folks listen to children & church choirs and enjoy the live Nativity. Watching folks bustle about with scarves and mittens with excited children in tow to see Santa, or hop on a hayride, this is small-town Americana at its very best. Crisp night air and luminary-lined streets enhance the evening capped by the Mayor, the Citizen of the Year and Santa all lighting the town Christmas Tree. If you are not in the holiday spirit after this very special Holly Springs evening, you might be a Scrooge!
Don’t forget, Holly Springs has a charmed mailbox located just outside the front steps of Town Hall where letters dropped off by the “good children” are whisked mysteriously and directly to Santa’s Workshop at the North Pole.
Our little town gets all decked out for the holidays with the Public Works folks hanging wreaths on Town Hall, festive banners and decorations on light poles and twinkle lights in the trees.
This year will be the first year with our new Holly Springs downtown, a vision the town has been working on for years. With Town Hall Commons now open, we’re going into uncharted waters with an array of local retail businesses to visit before and after the parade.
Embracing living in a small southern town has so many advantages. We can truly enjoy a quality of life unlike the lifestyle in a big city. Long-time resident Chandler Cobb describes Holly Springs as a “magical town” and I tend to agree.
