TEMPLE, Texas — Volunteers and organizations across Temple are preparing for one of the city's most cherished holiday traditions—the annual Christmas parade on Monday, Dec. 2.
The parade, which requires months of careful planning and coordination between city officials, local organizations, and volunteers, has become more than just a holiday celebration - a testament to Temple's strong community bonds.
"It's months and months of planning that goes into this event," says Melanie Zavodny, who serves on the Temple Christmas parade committee. "Seeing the behind-the-scenes work with the city and the volunteers, and then seeing it all come together for that moment is a wonderful experience."
Among the long-standing participants is SPJST, a fraternal organization founded by Czech pioneers in 1897. The organization, Slavonic Benevolent Order of the State of Texas, has been part of the parade for over two decades. The organization views the parade as an extension of its mission to give back to the community.
"We have been a part of it for probably 20-something years," says Zavodny, who also serves as SPJST's Vice President of Communications. "It's one of our favorite parades that we do. It brings the community together, seeing everybody coming out and the beautiful Christmas floats and the lights. It's a wonderful feeling."
This year's parade promises to continue the tradition of spreading holiday cheer. Organizations like SPJST plan to feature Christmas music and festive decorations on their floats. For many participants, the real joy comes from seeing the community's reaction.
"Just seeing the people and seeing the smiles, seeing the excitement, seeing people's faces light up - it's always a special time," says Zavodny.
Christmas Parade key times and location:
6:30 p.m. - Parade begins.
7:20 p.m. - Santa starts his arrival down W. Adams Avenue.
Location: Downtown Temple