Saturday, Dec. 4, the Lindale Christmas Parade will be returning after a gap year due to COVID. The Christmas parade will start at 5:30 p.m. at EJ Moss and end at South Street in the 1st Baptist Church parking lot. Roads will close before 4:30 p.m., and will reopen around 8:00 p.m. 

“We are excited to be having the Lindale Christmas Parade again this year,” head band director Steven Moore said. “The band has always enjoyed performing in the parade. The students like to decorate their instruments in various ways, especially with lights and get into the Christmas spirit.”

In the parade, there will be floats and performances from various local clubs and organizations both from the high school and from other local groups. This includes Star Steppers, the Lindale band, cheer team, Camp Gladiator, Keri’s Dance Factory, and other local businesses.

“Drill team has made the past three years of high school some of the best years of my life,” senior social officer Victoria Mayorga said. “The Christmas parade is always something I look forward to. Walking through the streets of Lindale is one of the most exciting things we do.”

  This parade occurs every year as a community event, with exception of last year due to COVID and the restrictions involved in it. This year, the parade is sponsored by the Rotary Club.

“I think the reason we want to have a parade is to showcase our community,” Juan Ovalle, parade chairperson said. “We’re a small town and everybody knows everybody and we want to emphasize having a parade with local people. We want to show that after a long year of not being able to gather or participate in festivities we can showcase our community here in Lindale.”

Traffic will be detoured off of Hwy. 69 to make way for the parade and citizens.   According to Lindale PD, the toll road starting on Hwy 69 north of town all the way to I20 will be free of charge from 4pm to 830pm.  When the parade is over, Main Street will still remain closed until all floats are off the highway and the instructions to open the road are given. 

“Growing up in Lindale, the Christmas parade was always something I looked forward to,” mascot Savannah Warrington said. “Getting to be a part of it is an amazing experience, and I can’t wait to be up on the firetruck riding through town and seeing people’s smiles as they watch the parade.”

After the parade, there will be several different festivities including showing of ‘The Grinch’ movie in the park, picture opportunities at Picker’s Pavillion, and Santa’s Bake Shop at Lillie Russell Memorial Library.

“I’m so excited for the parade because we didn’t get to have it last year,” sophomore Lauren Phillips said. “This year will be my first time performing in a Christmas parade as a varsity cheerleader, and I can’t wait to cheer with my team.”