Staff report
CLEVELAND ó The 37th annual Cleveland Christmas parade will bring Santa and the holiday season to town Saturday.
The parade will kick off at 2 p.m. at the old West Rowan YMCA.
More than 50 units are registered for the parade with dozens more expected to participate in the event sponsored by the Cleveland Lions Club.
The parade showcases local folks and activities.
Entries include a wide variety of categories ó religious, antique vehicles, commercial, kings, queens, humorous and lots of horse categories.
“Our parade still allows horses and we still allow candy to be tossed,” Liz Steele, parade committee chairman, said. She noted the horses are strategically placed behind the marching entries.
A committee of judges will select top entries from the registered units.
To give the judging a community flavor, the parade committee pulls people from the crowd to serve as judges. “It’s the community serving the community,” Steele said.
The parade typically draws between 2,000 and 3,000 spectators, mostly residents from Cleveland, Woodleaf and Mount Ulla.
The parade starts at the former West Rowan YMCA building and travels west along Main Street toward U.S. 70 and Freightliner.
Here’s the parade line-up:
– Cleveland Town Board;
– Cleveland Police Department;
– Rowan County Board of Commissioners;
– John Brindle, Rowan Register of Deeds;
– Rowan County Fire Marshal’s Office;
– N.C. Rep. Lorene Coates;
– West Rowan High School JROTC/Colors;
– West Rowan High School Marching Falcons;
– Cub Scout Pack 476 from St. Marks Lutheran Church;
– R.A. Clement Alumni Association;
– Antique tractors ó 1939 John Deere Model A, sponsored by Scott Barringer’s Custom Tractor Restoration;
– Youth-in-Action Against Tobacco Council, sponsored by the Rowan County Health Department;
– Freightliner;
– J.C. Price Queen Symone Deon Knox;
– Mr. and Mrs. Cinderella, sponsored by Miller’s Rec Center;
– Mindy, Kim, Crystal and Meghan;
– Wild Bill Corriher / Post 185;
– American Legion Post 185 unit with Amber Waldroup;
– AMVETS Post 565 Queen Nayeli Gutierrez;
– South Rowan High School JROTC Rachel Raywood;
– Kepley & Son Tractor ó two units;
– West Rowan Cub Scout Pack 308
– John Jancic;
– Wagon Wheel Cloggers;
– Stump Town Tractor Club;
– Mr. and Mrs. Emmanuel;
– Shaver Wood Products, two units;
– West Rowan Youth Football League;
– The Plorais Express dedicated to the memory of Seth Zachariah Nance;
– West Rowan FFA;
– Santa’s Helpers Lynn and Sizota, Pam and Stormy and Ashlan and Blaze;
– Rolling Thunder NC-2;
– Predator Paintball;
– Blake Goodman;
– Santa Bost and His Helper;
– Atwell Fire Department;
– Cleveland Presbyterian Church;
– Cameron Presbyterian Church Youth Ministry;
– West Rowan Middle School Pep Band;
– West Rowan FCCLA;
– Relay for Life;
– Lutheridge Cloggers;
– East Rowan Saddle Club and Flag Team;
– Community Grocery and Auto Parts;
– More at 4 Advantage Children’s Center;
– Rowan County 40 & 8 antique train engine;
– Shannon Barber;
– District Court Judge Marshall Bicket;
– Woodleaf Tomato Festival;
– Faith Moore, Little Miss Flame;
– Kiddie Land Kindergarten King and Queen;
– Club Scout Pack 320;
– Central Carolina Chapter of Military Officers of America;
– Lauren Ashley Williams;
– Cleveland First Baptist Church;
– Kennedy Hall American Legion Post 106;
– Cleveland Girl Scout Troop 338;
– Rockwater Farm Horses;
– New Shepherd Baptist Church;
– Jordan T. Thorpe;
– New Shepherd Baptist Church;
– J.C. Price American Legion Post 107;
– N.C. Army National Guard Hummer.