Towns begin organizing Christmas parades

T. J. ROYAL

Area Christmas parade organizers are getting their events ready, as applicants are already reserving their spots for the ones held in Tarboro, Pinetops and Princeville.

Tarboro's 34th annual Christmas parade, organized by the Tarboro Edgecombe Chamber of Commerce, will be 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13. Pinetops and Princeville will have their parades on Saturday, Dec. 5, with Pinetops beginning at 10 a.m. and Princeville starting at 2 p.m.

Chamber of Commerce Office Manager JoBeth Cobb said she is hoping someone, or a group of people, could donate $300 so Tarboro's parade could have the Sudan Playboys enter the event. The flamboyantly dressed Sudan members, who ride in a limousine, would be a "neat addition" to Tarboro's parade, she added.

Cobb has already had "10-15" people sign up for Tarboro's parade, and added that her phone has been "ringing off the hook" from people wanting more information about the event.

Entries for Tarboro's parade are $40 for business Chamber members, $60 for non-Chamber members, $25 for non-profit Chamber members and $40 for non-profit, non-Chamber members.

The price to sponsor a professional float is $425 for Chamber members and $450 for non-Chamber participants.

Brenda Harrell, assistant Pinetops administrator, said that entries into the town's parade are free, regardless of how many vehicles or floats the entrants want to use.

"The bigger, the better," she added.

Businesses who want to sponsor floats will be charged $25 to participate in Pinetops' parade, though.

This will be the 37th annual Christmas parade in Pinetops.

Princeville Welcome Center and Museum Interim Director Linda Worsley said that one-car parade participants will be charged $25. For two cars the cost is $35, for three or more it's $50. People using floats, or organizations sponsoring a float or a parade participant, will be charged $35.

The deadline for Princeville's parade is Nov. 27, while Pinetops' deadline is Dec. 2 and Tarboro's is Dec. 4.

Tarboro's route will begin at the Tar River bridge, run through Main Street and end at Hope Lodge Street.

Pinetops' parade route will begin at Ninth Street, run along Hamlet Street and end at the N.C. 122 intersection.

Princeville's parade route will begin near Walston Street, run through South Main Street and then turn onto Mutual Boulevard. This will be Princeville's 11th annual Christmas parade.

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