Get in your Christmas parade float entry

Area groups, businesses and organizations are encouraged to begin preparing their float entries for the 2012 Christmas Parade, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, December 3 in downtown Hot Springs. The application deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday, November 16.

This year’s parade theme is “Peace, Joy and Love.” The parade is sponsored by the Oaklawn Rotary Club, with Simmons First Bank, Summit Bank, Jordan, Woosley, Crone and Keaton Ltd., Bank of the Ozarks, Millwright, Inc., and Lane, Muse, Arman and Pullen as co-sponsors.  Support is provided by the City of Hot Springs.

The parade entry fee, $50, will be used by the club to fund college scholarships for area youth. Trophies will be awarded for Best Decorated Float, Best Use of Theme, Best Use of Special Effects, Best Choreographed, and Most Decorated Non-Float. 

"We are very excited about this year's parade!” said event organizer Shannon Carroll.  “It seems that every year the parade has been getting better and better, with more and better floats.   As always, we encourage the use of lots of lights and music!"  

In addition to floats, marching groups, horses, bicycles, color guards and walking groups are allowed. Business vehicles must pull either a decorated trailer or float. No more than 80 entries will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.   All entrants are required to send a representative to a mandatory pre-parade meeting at 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 25 at the Transportation Depot, 100 Broadway Terrace. Parade lineup numbers and additional information will be distributed at the meeting.

The official parade entry form is available on the homepage of the City of Hot Springs’ Web site, cityhs.net. Paper copies may be picked up in the Public Information office at City Hall, 133 Convention Boulevard, or at any Simmons First Bank branch. For more information, contact Dave Hoffman, 318-2222.