BOYKINS—Linda Beatty was very pleased with the town of Boykins’ Christmas Parade on Sunday.

“It was a good day and beautiful weather for it,” the event chairwoman said at the close of the parade. “We cancelled it last week due to the weather, and we are so pleased with the turnout today.”

There were about 45 entrants and the route carried it through the town’s business district.

The route was lined full of spectators young and old for a 45-degree December day as they watched the parade, which featured marching bands from Southampton County and Franklin High School.

Winning awards for this year were as follows:

Most Appealing to children

First place: Boykin’s Main Street Initiative

Second place: GFWC Tarrara Woman’s Club

True Meaning of Christmas

First place: Boykin’s Baptist Church

Second place: Boykin’s United Methodist Church Youth Group

Most Original

First place: The Colonel’s Coffee Club

Second place: BSV Bank

Best in the parade

Santa’s sleigh by the Cumberland Mill Work

The parade was sponsored by the Main Street Initiative, the Lion’s Club, GFWC Tarrara Woman’s Club and the Town of Boykins.

In her closing remarks, Beatty added thanks to the other members of the committee, which included Mayor Spier Edwards Jr., his wife Mary Ann Edwards and Denise Byrum.

Later, Boykins Mayor Edward Jr. presided at the eighth annual “Decorate the Christmas Tree Annual Event.” This climaxed a day of Christmas activity for the town at the Buck Lassiter Mini-Park downtown. During his welcome, the mayor said this annual event was to bring citizens together in the town in celebration of the Christmas period.

The program included a host of local dignitaries on the program including the Rev. Henry Diggs, Larry Hill, Carl Faison, Wallace Benton, Summer Taylor, Donald and Donavon Davis, the Rev. Raymond Bunn and the very special guest of the man from the North Pole, Santa Claus. After the short program, the official switch was thrown to light the tree and decoration for the park.

Refreshments were provided by Mary Elizabeth Washington.