55 floats featured in Christmas Parade of the Ozarks

It was a cacophony of Christmas carols, lights and Santa hats as hundreds of people lined Emma Avenue in Springdale Saturday night (Nov. 30) for the 17th annual Christmas Parade of the Ozarks, which is presented by the Springdale Benevolent Foundation and the Rodeo of the Ozarks.

Emma Avenue was closed for more than an hour as the 55 Christmas-themed floats fired up the crowd that lined the road.

The parade had a 25% increase in the number of floats since last year, said Rick Culver, member of the Rodeo of the Ozarks board of directors.

“This parade definitely causes a boost in economic activity in Springdale,” Culver said. “It gets people downtown and aware of downtown businesses.”

Participation in the parade was free because of donations and sponsorships, he said.

Judges picked winners of the float competition at the end of the evening. Winners in each of three categories won trophies and cash prizes. A Chairman’s Award was given to the float that best represented the parade’s theme. Judges are picked at random from the community, Culver said.

“We do this parade for the kids,” Culver said. “We’re going to be giving some money back into the school district for their Angel Tree program.”

The program helps ensure that kids get what they need during the holidays.

Participants in the parade ran the gamut from politicians running for office to church groups and businesses.

The parade is one of the oldest traditions in Springdale, according to the Rodeo of the Ozarks. Before it was taken over by the Rodeo of the Ozarks, the Christmas parade was run by the Chamber of Commerce, Culver said.