Ironton Lions Club#039;s Christmas Parade set for Monday
Published 12:00 am Saturday, November 29, 2003
The Ironton Lions Club Christmas Parade will be 6 p.m. Monday evening.
This is the first year the Lion's Club has sponsored the annual parade. Previously, the holiday event was sponsored by the Ironton business association.
Parade organizer Lou Pyles said the theme this year is "Homespun Christmas." She said the parade is very much a family-oriented get-together.
"So many people come to see their children or their grandchildren march in the parade. people come to see their friends, and, of course, everyone comes to see Santa Claus - big kids and little kids," Pyles said. The jolly fat man will be the parade's grand finale.
This year's honoree is the Rev. Jim Cremeans of the Ironton City Mission. Cremeans is being honored for his dedication to the area's needy.
It is estimated that 2,000-3,000 people will stand on the sidelines to view the procession. It begins at Second and Railroad streets and continues to the intersection of Second and Washington streets. From there, the parade continues down Third Street to Center Street, then ends at Fourth and Railroad streets.
"We've shortened it a block this year," Pyles said. "In the past, the parade interfered with traffic on the Ironton-Russell Bridge, and we've always had to close the bridge. It's a safety issue."
Parking along the parade route is prohibited during the time before the parade and during the event, to allow participants as much room as possible.