Christmas parade set to roll on Saturday, December 5

The Clinton Christmas Parade will roll this year at 10 a.m. December 5, with precautionary measures and guidelines to keep participants and spectators safe for this annual outdoor event.

Parade organizers figure the community could use some happiness right now, but stressed that, for the parade to work, everyone needs to follow the rules to stay safe and healthy in the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic.

The theme this year is “Santa’s Reindeer Come to Clinton.” At about two miles, the route stretches from its start at Morrison Drive on Clinton Boulevard, on Clinton Boulevard until it turns into College Street, continuing to the other side of the Mississippi College campus, and finishing at Capitol and College streets.

“We’re encouraging people to enjoy the full length of the parade,” said Clinton Chamber of Commerce Executive Director T.J. McSparrin. 

The two-mile route offers plenty of space to stretch out and not bunch up in big groups. Find a place where others aren’t congregating. Stay with your family and members of your household. Wear masks in public, even outside. 

Some locations along the route, sparsely populated in some years, include areas around Clinton Cemetery and Cedar Grove Cemetery, the old Mount Salus School and Pleasant Green Baptist Church. 

“Those are great to spread out in; they always have very small crowds,” said Clay Mansell, parade chairman.

“If you want to come and see the parade, I would really consider driving down the parade route and staking out a spot ahead of time, where you can set up camp and enjoy it without being in the middle of the crowd,” McSparrin said. 

The parade entry count was at thirty-three, prior to Thanksgiving — running about even with previous years, two weeks out, Mansell said.

Organizers weren’t sure how the pandemic might affect participation. Previous years have seen as many as 1,500 people participating, counting floats, marchers and bands, and parade cars with homecoming and beauty queens. Entrants can still register up until a few days before the event, at ClintonChristmasParade.EventBrite.com. 

The parade will also be streamed live on the Clinton Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page, facebook.com/clintonchamberofcommerce. 

The Clinton Chamber of Commerce will be releasing additional information and guidelines to parade participants as the event nears.

“We do know it will look a little bit different with masks, and we’re asking people to spread out,” Mansell said. “We felt it was pretty important to have an official kickoff to Christmas in Clinton.” And, with several other highly-anticipated, early December events either canceled or drastically changed, hopes were high that at least one fun tradition was intact.

“Enough has been taken away this year. We thought the Christmas parade would be safe enough, outdoors.”