COAL GROVE — Nothing puts people into the holiday spirit quite like a good old-fashioned Christmas parade.

This Friday, people in the Village of Coal Grove will be lining Marion Pike, from the fire station to Paul Porter Park, for the annual Christmas parade.

Vickie McDaniel, president of the Coal Grove Betterment Club, which sponsors the parade, said there would be around 38 groups to march this year’s route, from civic organizations to businesses and school groups. She also said that Coal Grove native Bridgett Reynolds would be singing in the parade again this year.

“I think there’s about six or seven different groups from all three of our schools and I just think that’s great,” said Vickie McDaniel.

Vickie McDaniel said that she wasn’t sure if Christmas would be able to come to the village this year, due to last month’s vandalism and theft of wiring for the park’s decorations.

“I didn’t even know if we were going to be able to perform it, pull this all off,” she said. “But we have.”

Mayor Larry McDaniel said the park was even lit early this year.

“We were pretty fortunate, we had several donations and was able to get it back together and turned on early.”

Vickie McDaniel said that the businesses in the community have been getting excited about the parade and that it continues to grow each year.

“It went from a small parade and it keeps expanding,” she said. “That’s what a community is all about, sticking together.”

The Betterment Club will also be offering hot chocolate and homemade cookies at the Jae Roush Community Building after the parade. Santa Claus will also stop by to greet the children.

“It’s just good to see the people come out and support this,” Vickie McDaniel said. “There’s a lot of hard work that goes in it to prepare for this, but it makes it worth your time when you see all the people out and the children so happy.”

The parade is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Coal Grove Fire Department.