Steady on his feet atop a fire truck, Santa Claus wished everyone along the Pine Bluff Christmas Parade route a very Merry Christmas, although the good tidings weren’t easy to hear amid the festive noise that filled the Thursday night air downtown.
The city had to wait an extra week to launch its latest edition of the parade, thanks to a heavy deluge of rain. Some, like longtime Pine Bluff resident Vikki Morris, were lucky enough to take a curbside view of the parade from their own vehicles.
“I came at 4 o’clock,” said Morris, a resident of about 50 years who grew up in McGehee. “I love UAPB’s band.”
The annual Christmas Parade resumed in 2018 at the behest of Mayor Shirley Washington after several years of dormancy, according to Leigh Cockrum of Go Forward Pine Bluff, who watched from the judges’ platform as the parade turned east on Sixth Avenue to avoid the train that crosses Main on Fourth Avenue. Adults like Morris who have lived in Pine Bluff a long time look forward to the event each year. Bobbie Bridges was another, taking in the moment with her 5-year-old twin grandchildren Zion and Zavannah and daughter Zedralyn Butler.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“They were excited,” Bridges said, standing with her family outside the grandchildren’s downtown Friendship Aspire Academy campus. “This was the first time I’ve come in a long time. I kind of missed this, being this is my favorite season.”
Butler surprised the kids with the parade, adding she checked them out of school early.
“I asked, ‘Are y’all ready for the parade?’ They said, ‘What parade?'” Butler said. “They ran from the building to the street to see the band coming up, which was UAPB’s band.”
The twins’ sister Zaleigh played with a band from Friendship Aspire Academy Southeast Campus.
Bands from elementary school up to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff performed their favorite stadium hits as well as some Christmas favorites. Corvettes were among the 30 entries in this year’s parade, while the Sahara Shriners cruised along with a few clowns on motorcycles circling their own fire truck.
More than 900 people participated in the parade, according to Cockrum’s count.
“I think because of it being postponed by the rain last week, we had a few who could not participate,” she said. “It’s down a little bit, but it’s still good. Even some people who could not participate last week were able to participate this week.”
A pair of Clydesdale horses followed up Santa at the trail of the parade, signaling the holiday season officially in full swing in the city.
The Friendship Aspire Academy Southeast Campus band plays the theme to “SportsCenter” in front of the Arts & Science Center of Southeast Arkansas during the Pine Bluff Christmas Parade on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
Kamille Kolen of Pine Bluff takes advantage of a photo op with the Grinch, but her nephew apparently wasnt in the mood for it. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
Santa Claus wishes kids of all ages Merry Christmas while on top of a Pine Bluff fire truck at the trail of the Pine Bluff Christmas Parade on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, on Main Street. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
