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Watching the Mocksville Christmas Parade for the first time in years on Saturday brought back memories. I had covered the parade for the newspaper for many years, but in recent years that job has gone to others.

I stayed home.

Why? Things to do.

I should have come to the parade.

Watching the parade and the crowd that lined the streets on Saturday reminded me that we live in a wonderful community. There were all kinds of folks – rich and poor and multiple races – standing and sitting side by side, smiling and enjoying Christmas. Many came dressed for the season. I didn’t hear anyone mention anything political. And the children were filled with excitement. You could see it on their faces. Some of us adults tried to hide it, but we were excited, too.

And while the parade may lack those big, inflated balloons and corporate-made professional floats, it has something much more important – the essence of community.

At times, it looked as if those in the parade were having more fun than those on the sidelines. Many of the folks watching knew at least one person who was in the parade, which always makes it more fun for both sides. There’s nothing like seeing the thrill on a child’s face from a parade float when they hear a grandparent yelling their name from the side. They light up. So do the grandparents.

The Mocksville Christmas Parade is kind of like a Hallmark movie coming to life (I’m sure there were some terrific women there with the wrong men while the right man is right in front of their eyes.).

One thing is for sure, any child or adult who left Saturday’s parade without a pocket full of candy just didn’t want any candy. It was everywhere. It made me wish I had invested in Dum Dums or Sour Patch Kids years ago. The kids didn’t seem to mind the kind of candy. They grabbed whatever was tossed their way.

Yes, the Mocksville Christmas Parade showcases our community. I guess it takes the birth of Our Savior to bring folks together.

If you missed it, don’t dismay.

Advance will have its version on Saturday morning. And it’s always a lot of fun. Cooleemee will celebrate with its parade the following Saturday afternoon.

Attend both. You won’t regret it.

– Mike Barnhardt