El Dorado Christmas Parade returns with new features
Posted on December 13, 2024
By Keturah Smith
El Dorado News Times
Thursday was the annual Christmas parade in El Dorado, gathering residents from the city to watch the festive performances.
“This parade has been a part of the community for decades. We have documentation at the Gallery of History that alludes to the Chamber of Commerce Christmas parade in 1932, and reading it makes me feel that it had been happening right before then,” said Karen Hicks, Chamber of Commerce vice president of membership and events.
“We started planning it in June, if not a little before, as you can see, it takes a team of 30 or 40 people to pull it off,” Hicks said. “The deadline was about two weeks ago because we have to take the 175 entries, organize them, line them up, and get the information to multiple news outlets so they can begin organizing their production.
“KTVE does a lot of streaming, and they’re set up with the Chamber of Commerce this year,” Hicks said. “Historically, the parade has always been in front of the mall or on Northwest Avenue. But it was important to me that the Chamber have a bigger presence in the parade, so people understand that the Chamber is the one putting this on.
“Our judging is downtown this year, and our broadcast is downtown this year,” Hicks said. “The first floats line up at 4:30 p.m. We start at 7 p.m. and it’s going to be a beast of it’s own.”
“We worked hard on this; all the details were lined out weeks ago, and it’s great. I think it’s going to be the best parade we’ve ever had,” Hicks said.
Shemekah Morgan a 2001 Pine Bluff alumni said she was excited to have The University of Arkansas Pine Bluff band be a part of the parade.
“I’m excited about some things they’ll be doing in the parade because we’ve been working nonstop behind the scenes to prepare everything and have it ready for when they arrive,” Morgan said.
“I’m excited to see them, I’m excited to be around them, and I’m proud of my college,” she said.