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Photos & Video Blowing Rock Christmas Parade

by Madison V. Fisler

Dec. 2, 2013. The annual Christmas in the Park and Lighting of the Town took place, as always, in Downtown Blowing Rock. The festivities began in Memorial Park off of Main Street with a visit from the one and only Santa Claus and continued throughout the entire afternoon.

After the lighting of the town at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 29, residents and visitors headed home to await the Blowing Rock Christmas Parade the next morning.

Thousands of folks lined the street in Downtown Blowing Rock for the annual event, entire families shuffling for a spot with children on shoulders to see better. 

The participants began lining up for the parade early in the morning to find the perfect vantage point to watch the procession.

“When I came to work at 7 a.m. there were chairs already set up, so I knew we were going to have a great day,” said Tracy Brown, executive director of the Blowing Rock Tourism Development Authority (TDA). 

“It was fantastic, we had a super crowd. It seemed like the weather really played in our favor and we had folks from all over, some even from neighboring states,” said Brown. 

“I would say there were easily 3,000-5,000 people there.”

The entire procession lasted a little less than an hour, but at the end everyone left happy and excited for the holiday season to begin.

“When those kids saw Santa Claus at the end, their faces just lit right up,” Brown said. “It was a perfect picture of the excitement for the holiday season. We are all looking forward to a great season.” 

After the harbinger of the winter season in Blowing Rock, the restaurants and merchants in the village are primed and ready for the holiday season.

“Our businesses here and all over the High Country are primed and ready for a great season. The folks down here have never seen store windows as pretty as we have, and our merchants and restaurants take great pride in their product and how they present it. It’s really a great village atmosphere. It’s going to be a fantastic winter season.”

If you missed out on this spectacular annual event, check out our video of the fun here.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vuxh52pgUE&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

Also, check out all of our pictures of the Parade and make plans to be there next year. It is sure to be one day you won’t soon forget. 

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