The dreary weather of the first full weekend of December 2013 took a break as the bayside town of North Beach held its annual holiday parade. The Saturday, Dec. 7 trek drew a good-size crowd and a wide array of units.
The long parade line included several local Girl Scout Troops, the Red Hat Ladies riding on the backs of motorcycles (courtesy of the Calvert Elks Lodge), daycare centers, state, municipal and county government officials; several North Beach Volunteer Fire Department (Company 1) vehicles, classic cars, a fleet of PT Cruisers (bearing Virginia tags), Calvert County Sheriff’s Office vehicles, local eateries and their mascots, librarians wearing sombreros, ballet dancers and dogs galore. The canine teams included costumed dogs from Greyt Expectations Greyhound Rescue.
And bringing up the rear, aboard Company 1’s tower truck, was Santa Claus.
The event’s grand marshal was North Beach citizen-volunteer Sally Donaldson.
As it was last year, the North Beach Holiday Parade was dedicated to the memory of Patricia G. “Pat” Carpenter.
“To all the volunteers who marched or rode and everyone who turned out to enjoy the parade, thank you,” Carpenter’s widower Bob stated later. “A special thank you to the Town of North Beach who once again opened their streets.”
The persistent drizzle of Friday, Dec. 6 forced North Beach town officials to alter their holiday weekend plans slightly. An evening outdoor lighting ceremony was scrapped but the Holiday Extravaganza was held at the town hall.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com
