The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Dave Rogers _ For The Record

Bridge City’s eighth annual Christmas Light Parade is set for Saturday, Dec. 3 and the sponsoring Bridge City Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications for parade entrants.

The one-mile procession down West Roundbunch Road from the First Baptist Church Bridge City to Bridge City Elementary begins at 6 p.m.

It will be headed by parade marshals from the Bridge City Police and Fire Departments as well as Acadian Ambulance and word is a certain couple from the North Pole will be making an appearance, too.

“We’re honoring first responders,” said Barbara Jane “BJ” Hanneman, administrative assistant and museum curator for the Chamber. “We’re announcing our parade marshals next week.”

Parade entrants may walk, drive, ride, gallop, trot, dance or stomp their way down the parade route, Hanneman said.

“Everyone is welcome to enter,” she said. “The whole purpose is we collect toys as entry fees and give them to the Bridge City-Orangefield Ministerial Alliance for their Christmas Toy Giveaway.”

Go to bridgecitychamber.com for a parade application. Deadline to enter is Nov. 28.

“Bridge City’s Christmas Parade has been going on for many years,” Hanneman said, “but eight years back we changed it to lighted night parade.

“Everybody takes part, from local businesses to groups like the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, to individuals, to classic cars.

“The Public Library will have a float with preschoolers. The high school band will be there, the Strutters (drill team) will perform. We’ll have Tiger Rock Martial Arts do a demonstration.

“We give out lots of awards. Different people do different things to try to get the judges’ attention.”

Hanneman said parade entries are judged in four different categories: Dance, vehicles, floats and walkers. First, second and third prizes are awarded in every category and there is one grand prize, best overall.

Last year’s big winner was a hastily combined entry of the Bridge City ISD Transportation Department and Bridge City Intermediate’s student council.

“In the staging area, the intermediate school’s float broke down, so they combined with the Transportation Department,” Hanneman explained.

Bridge City bank will be showing the movie “The Polar Express” on the lawn behind the bank immediately after the parade.

For more information, call 735-5671 or email [email protected].

Christmas in Orangefield set for Dec. 10.

Orangefield’s Cormier Museum will be the site of Christmas in Orangefield celebrating Western Heritage Saturday, Dec. 10.

The museum opens at 9 a.m. and the parade starts at 10:30 a.m. There will be food and craft booths with lots of activities for children beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Admission and parking is free.