Published: November 27, 2008 05:22 pm      

BC announces annual Christmas Parade still a go

BRIDGE CITY — An annual holiday event in this Orange County community will get a slight makeover this year.

The annual Bridge City Christmas Parade, which is hosted by the Bridge City Chamber of Commerce, is scheduled for 10 a.m., Dec. 6 and will begin at First Baptist Church at the intersection of West Roundbunch and Texas Avenue, continuing down West Roundbunch, before concluding at Hatton Elementary.

Many people in this community suffered greatly from flood damage when Hurricane Ike submerged much of Bridge City in September. This concern caused some to doubt whether such an event was possible or necessary this year.

“There was some concern over if the parade would be held or not,” said Janelle Sehon, executive vice president of the Bridge City Chamber of Commerce. “But it turns out a lot of people still really want this. When I spoke with Mayor Kirk Roccaforte and Jerry Jones, the city manager, they said there would be no problem with having the parade and they said they would do whatever they could to assist us.”

One change from previous years will be the exclusion of the Holiday Village, which was an array of local vendors and businesses selling holiday gift items and products following the parade. It has been held inside Bridge City Intermediate School, located by Hatton Elementary, the previous two years.

“We decided we will not have our Holiday Village this year because we didn’t want to put a strain on our local businesses and vendors,” Sehon added. “So many of them are still trying to get their businesses back on their feet, and we were afraid it would have just been too hard on them.”

Another change from previous years will be the participation of organizations and individuals from outside of Bridge City.

“We actually received several calls from people in Mid-County who expressed interest in being in our Christmas parade,” Sehon continued. “So many people have come to Bridge City and helped our citizens since the storm, we thought it would be great if they wanted to participate. So, we are inviting outside groups and organization to come and celebrate the holidays with us.”

Sehon said the parade will consist of holiday floats, cars and the usual parade participants, and there is no entry fee for those wishing to take part in the event.

There will be judging in several categories, and prizes will be awarded to first, second and third place winners.

Another change, which excited Sehon greatly, is the announcement of a community Christmas tree being placed in front of the chamber office.

“This is something new we are going to do this year, and it’s all because K and K Tree Farm in Little Cypress has donated a tree to us,” Sehon said. “They just wanted to help brighten the spirits of our citizens, and we really appreciate it. The tree should be up and on display before the Christmas parade.”

If inclement weather occurs, the parade will be rescheduled for 2 p.m., Dec. 7, at the same location. Call the Bridge City Chamber of Commerce at 409-735-5671 for more details or registration information.



Reach this reporter at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2620 or tmann@orangeleader.com