Posted on December 20, 2019
The 2019 El Dorado Christmas Parade, “El Dorado Presents: A Nutcracker Christmas,” was a fantastic event and I would like to thank everyone who helped make it happen.
I would first like to thank HEPCO for being the title sponsor of the parade and for bringing the iconic Budweiser Clydesdales back to El Dorado. Hearing multiple small children scream, “mommy it’s the Clydesdales!”, made all the preparation worth it. Thank you to KTVE and Sherry Cross for live streaming the parade online and broadcasting it the following Saturday morning for thousands of people to see.
A huge thank you to the El Dorado City employees who were setting up barricades before sunrise the day of the parade and removing them Friday morning while picking up trash along the parade route.
I would also like to thank the chamber ambassadors for taking their time to help put the parade together and a big thank you to Main Street El Dorado’s Beth Brumley and Holly McDonald for their help with the parade as well.
Thank you to the El Dorado Police Department and the Union County Sheriff’s Office for monitoring and blocking the streets along the parade route. Most importantly, thank you to the El Dorado Fire Department, who transported Santa to town in their firetruck.
Thank you to Dr. Barbara Jones for pushing up SouthArk’s graduation start time to help accommodate the parade.
I would also like to thank Union County Judge Mike Loftin and the County Shop for providing a truck and trailer for the parade’s Grand Marshal float.
Thanks to Nancy Arn again for selecting judges for the parade. I know she has been performing this job since 2004 when Barbie and I were judges. Thank you to the participants for making this parade such a success. Thank you for your patience and goodwill during a rather chaotic event.
Lastly, I would like to thank the Chamber staff: Jaren Books, who organized the whole parade with the help of Kaitlyn Rigdon and Brandon Barnette.
Again, thank you to everyone who played a part in this year’s Christmas Parade, it would not have been possible without every single one of you. Merry Christmas.
Bill Luther
President & CEO El Dorado-Union County
Chamber of Commerce