Linda Beatty
BOYKINS
It was a very cold, but sunny day for the 42nd annual Christmas Parade in Boykins. Floats, beauty queens, dignitaries, vehicles (old and new), fire and rescue equipment from several stations, horses, dogs, motorcycles and the Southampton High School Band made their way down Main Street, looped onto Route 186 and came back again to the delight of the crowd. Santa and Mrs. Claus brought up the end of the parade riding on his beautiful sleigh pulled by some of his reindeer.
Mr. and Mrs Claus arrived early to the staging area located on the Narricot parking lot to judge the entries and awarded the following ribbons:
• Most Appealing to Children: Boykins Girl Scout Troop 5073, first place; Good News Worship Center, second place
• True Meaning of Christmas: Emanuel Christian Worship Center, first place; Galilee Baptist Church, second place
• Most Original: Boykins Lions Club, first place; Country Boy Trucking Express, second place
• Best in Parade – Renaissance Faire
Two persons led the parade as Grand Marshals — Fran Edwards and Linda Beatty, both are from the Tarrara Woman’s Club, a small club that boasts of having had two members serve as state president of the GFWC Virginia organization, and both had previously served as district presidents.
Brianna Johnson, the Franklin/Southampton County Fair Queen, and Erica Coard, the Snow Queen, rode in convertibles provided by Blake Ford and Mike Duman.
The Boykins Police Officers and Southampton County deputies provided traffic control.
Following the parade, Mr. and Mrs. Claus stopped by Boykins United Methodist Church to take photos with the children who came by to share their Christmas list with Santa.
Originally, the parade was a community project for the Boykins Junior Woman’s Club, later taken over by the GFWC Tarrara Woman’s Club.
This year, in addition to the club, there were four other sponsoring organizations: Boykins Lions Club, Boykins Main Street Initiative, Masonic Lodge 287 and The Town of Boykins.
Thanks to all who assisted in making the parade a success.