Parade, music part of 14th annual Paris lighting ceremony
by November 28, 2010 5:15 pm 85 views
story and photos by Joel Rafkin
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Holiday revelers gathered in downtown Paris to celebrate the 14th Annual Trail of Holiday Lights Ceremony and Parade on Saturday evening.
Entertainment began at 5 p.m. with performances by Jennifer Ford, Alana Jones, Miranda Sewell, Cortney Barnhill, Butch Barnhill, Joni Inman, Beth Ullrich, the Maness family, Cole Rice and Marsha Edwards.
Judge Gus Young then spoke briefly followed by Paris Mayor Bill Elsken. Elsken, who is serving his last term as mayor, said, "As far as I’m concerned, Paris, Arkansas is the greatest place on this earth to live."
The two men then proceeded up the Logan County Courthouse steps to flip the ceremonial switch at about 6 p.m. and downtown Paris, previously dark except for traffic lights and merchant windows, came aglow with more than 100,000 lights.
Two new decorations were added to the display this year. A large wood reindeer silhouette and a nativity scene — both constructed by the Paris FFA chapter. The Christmas-themed parade immediately followed the lighting ceremony and lasted about 45 minutes. Children and some parents scrambled to snatch up candy thrown from parade participants. Communities surrounding Paris also participated in the parade.
Linda Lievsay came all the way from from Dardanelle, as she said she does every year, to witness the lighting ceremony and parade.
The Holiday Trail of Lights encompasses all six regions of Arkansas and has more than 60 communities participating. It is promoted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. More information can be found at this page on the website of the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism.
