The 2017 annual Christmas Parade, with a theme, “Christmas Through the Ages” and 79 entries, will begin at 7 p.m. today at the intersection of 18th Street and North West Avenue. The parade will then proceed south on North West Avenue to the downtown area and will end at Jefferson and Peach Streets.
At 4 p.m., today, North Jefferson will be closed from 13th Street (behind Mellor Park Mall); 18th Street will also be closed from 13th to North West Avenue for Christmas Parade line-up, said Mike Dumas, president and chief executive officer of the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce.
Leading this year’s procession will be the Boys and Girls Club banner carriers, Grand Marshals and ROTC, all walking groups.
They will be followed by the Parkers Chapel Band, Anna Grace Langston (queen), Todd L. Tucker (car/truck), New Olive Branch Baptist Church (small float), Mow Money & Black to Basics (car/truck), Lanxess Christmas Night Fever (large float), Barton Junior High Band, H&R Block (car/truck), Parkers Chapel Peewee Football (small float), Billy Wood Honda (two car/truck entries);
Camp Fire Club 56 (large float), Chris Lutman for mayor (walking group), American Legion (car/truck), Murphy-Pitard Jewelers (car/truck), SunnEbikes (motorcycle/ATV), Military Jeep (car/truck), Junction City High School Band, Pack 18 Scouting through the Ages (small float), Pack 18 Boy Scouts (small float), Isabella Burke (queen), Noalmark (car/truck), 870 - Riders (motorcycle/ATV), Scarlet Bay Cates (queen), Murphy Arts District (MAD) (large float), PJ’s Coffee (walking group);
John M. Elliott (car/truck), Miss Southern Arkansas University (queen), No Limits Riders (motorcycle/ATV), Smackover Band, Davis Sis and Bro (two car/truck entries), Batts Chapel Baptist Church (small float), Anna Joyce Spaner and Tinsley Barbaree (queen), Old Union Fire Department (car/truck), Smokey the Bear (large float), Dazzling Diza Dance Team (2 walking groups), Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church Two (large float), Coldwell Banker Dumas & Associates Real Estate (small float), Pentecostals of El Dorado (large float);
Home Depot White Christmas (large float), Lilah Ward (queen), Tokyo’s Doll House (car/truck), Greater Powerhouse of Deliverance (small float), Kaitlyn Earnest (queen), Sims Mortuary (car/truck and motorcycle/ATV), Saylor Greer (queen), El Dorado Pee Wee football (walking group), Street Respect MC (small float), HealthWorks Starz (small float), Kimberly Miles Crystal Queens (walking group), Timberlane Health & Rehab (large float), Camp Fire 42 (large float), The Gale Gang (car/truck), Second/Third/Fourth Hampton Peewee Football (large float);
Courtyard Rehab & Health Center (car/truck), Salvation Army (small float), Long’s Roofing (large float), Back to the 80s with Pika (car/truck), Antiguas (small float), Brown and Freemans Auto Detail (car/truck), Boys and Girls Club (large float), Camp Fire 22 (car/truck), Blackmon’s Furniture and Appliances (two car/truck entries), Antonio Davis (car/truck), JPS Equipment Rental (large float), Hudson Nursing Home (car/truck), F&J Inflatables (motorcycle/ATV), El Dorado High School Band and Santa Claus.
Horse and riding groups scheduled to participate in this year’s parade include Ewing Boys and Grandkids Riding Club, Megan Walters, Gabe Kirkpatrick, Ronetta Walters, Glenn Walters, Nisa Watkins and RC and Maverick Cowboy Church.