Large turnout watches Fort Morgan Christmas Parade

Following tradition, Santa Claus rides on an old fire truck at the end of the Fort Morgan Christmas Parade Monday night.

The weather was far from frightful Monday night, and Fort Morgan residents came out in droves to line Main Street and watch the 2012 Fort Morgan Christmas Parade.

"It's good to see a large crowd," Mayor Terry McAlister said, welcoming everyone to the parade and noting the chilly, but not freezing temperature. "I remember last year, there were about 15 of you here."

McAlister also asked everyone lining the streets to do something after the parade.

"Before you guys go to sleep tonight, think of those gentlemen and ladies overseas tonight fighting for our freedom," he said.

After that serious note, things turned quite lighthearted again as the parade began and brightly lit floats made their way down the street.

There

The Morgan County Community College Chorale sings a medley of Christmas songs Monday night in City Park along Main Street before the Fort Morgan Christmas Parade started.

were 38 entrants in the parade, including: businesses, Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts, churches, school groups, Brush Rodeo royalty, motorcyclists from ABATE of Colorado, the Fort Morgan Band Shell Project, racers from I-76 Speedway, people and animals from the Fort Morgan Humane Society, firefighters and fire trucks and lots more.

(For lots more pictures from the Christmas Parade, check out the gallery on the Fort Morgan Times Facebook page.)

There were 11 competitive parade entries, which were judged, and then winners were chosen.

The first place winner was the "Mater's Two Front Teeth" float by Fort Morgan Cub Scouts Pack 22.

The second place winner was Ehrlich Toyota East's float.

And the third place winner was the float carrying the "Bronco Iron Horse" sculpture by Beauprez Repair.

Winners received trophies, which were donated by Kevin Hawes at Unique Embroidery.

Many of the floats were accompanied by people walking the parade route, many of them handing out candy, fliers and other goodies.

And with the huge turnout Monday night, they found lots of people wanting those goodies and

Judges chose the "Mater's Two Front Teeth" float by Fort Morgan Cub Scouts Pack 22, shown here, as the winner among the 11 competitive floats in the 2012 Fort Morgan Christmas Parade.

information.

The members of the Fort Morgan Band Shell Committee gave out information about their fundraising project, which it was announced had raised $290,000 already. That puts the project less than $40,000 away from the goal.

Long a tradition in Fort Morgan, the Christmas Parade this year was part of the city's Christmas Capital of the Plains events, which are ongoing through Christmas.

"I think it's so awesome we're carrying on a tradition that is 60-plus years old,"local resident Cathy Shull said of the parade. "I remember coming as a kid."

She said she is also excited about the Christmas Capital of the Plains promotion and events.

"It's really putting the Christmas spirit in the city," Shull said.

John

Fort Morgan Mayor Terry McAlister, right, welcomes people to the 2012 Fort Morgan Christmas Parade as emcee John Waters holds up the microphone transmitter. McAlister encouraged everyone to think about the soldiers overseas "fighting for our freedom."

Gincott said he thought the parade was "awesome."

"It was really nice to see some of the creative things people did," he said, adding that he really liked "the race car with the reindeer coming out of the hood and the girl on the horse."

One change for this year's parade was that it traveled from north to south on Main Street, which emcee John Waters said he liked.

"I thought it went well," Waters said afterward. "I really liked going in the opposite direction."

Dan Marler from the Fort Morgan Area Chamber of Commerce Parade Committee, said he thought it was the "best turnout I remember seeing in the last several years."

"It's a fantastic turnout," said Geoff Baumgartner, president of the chamber. "It's really nice

This float carrying "Bronco Iron Horse" by Beauprez Repair claimed the third place prize in the Fort Morgan Christmas Parade.

to see so much of the Fort Morgan community come out to celebrate the Christmas season."

And before the parade began the crowd also was entertained by the Morgan Community College Chorale, which sang a handful of songs to get people excited for the parade to start.

"It was a lot of fun," Chorale Director Tertia Cain said, adding that she hoped the chorale could partner with the city again. "Despite technical difficulties, this amateur group showed true professionalism."

--Contact Jenni Grubbs at jgrubbs@fmtimes.com.

This reminder that Fort Morgan teen Kayla Chadwick remains missing was added to the Fort Morgan Christmas Parade to raise awareness that information is being sought in the case.

Source: http://www.fortmorgantimes.com/fort-morgan-local-news/ci_22121691/large-turnout-watches-fort-morgan-christmas-parade?source=rss_viewed

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