BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Residents from all over Raleigh County made their way to the Downtown Beckley area Saturday for the city’s joint Veterans and Christmas Parade.
Originally scheduled to take place Saturday, November 12, 2022, the American Legion Veterans Parade was postponed and incorporated as part of the Christmas Parade due to weather conditions in the wake of Tropical Storm Nicole lingering in early November.
In congruence with the updated arrangement, the veteran participants in Saturday’s parade led the way as floats and vehicles began to make their way through Neville Street at 11:00 am.
In an ironic turn of events, the rescheduled date for the veterans’ displays happened to coincide with some less than ideal weather conditions themselves. While the general temperature remained mild at around 50 degrees, prevalent wind and rain exacerbated these conditions to an extent.
Nonetheless, cheer was spread and candy tossed as organizations from the Beckley VA, Genesis Healthcare, and Raleigh General Hospital to the Beckley-Stratton Elementary Bulldog Band, Meadow Bridge High School Marching Wildcats, Woodrow Wilson High School Flying Eagle Band, and Shady Middle School Tiger Band boldly traversed the rains in the spirit of community unity.
Several church groups and emergency vehicles participated in the event, which also saw appearances from iconic characters such as The Grinch, Spiderman, Willy Wonka, and even Santa and Mrs. Claus themselves!
At the parade’s conclusion, traffic flow from attendees and motorists passing through the area, along with floats who had participated in the event, were efficiently directly by local authorities to ensure a safe and convenient exit for everyone traveling.
With December having begun earlier in the week, the countdown to Christmas is already well underway, and businesses as well as local organizations throughout the Beckley area are all celebrating in their own way.
Many businesses are running holiday specials, while St. Nick himself has been making appearances to converse with local children at the Crossroads Mall, where last month he arrived in style by way of a Healthnet CAMC helicopter.
More information on upcoming and ongoing events in the Beckley area can be found at the Beckley Events page as well as the LOOTPRESS Community Calendar.