See the list of holiday events and submit your own, at www.mysaline.com/holiday-events
Wow, Downtown Benton was really hopping on Monday night. There was a noticeable increase in the amount of spectators at the Saline County Christmas Parade. For that matter, there were more parade floats as well.
MySaline was there to livestream the video for those two or three people in the county who couldn’t make it. See that video below. But I know the reason you’re reading this is that you want to know who won for best float, etc. Scroll down for that list.
And the winners are:
Float Category
- 1st Place – iRealty
- 2nd Place – Northside Church
- 3rd Place – Advanced Alarm Technologies
Band Category
- 1st Place – Benton High School Band
Vehicle Category
- 1st Place – Salt Box Farm
- 2nd Place – SRM Concrete
- 3rd Place – Cowboy Church
PREVIOUSLY:
The Saline County Christmas Parade is coming to Downtown Benton!
The Downtown Business Partnership revealed the theme for the parade is “A Hallmark Christmas.” Come to downtown Benton on Monday, December 6th. Grab a spot early on the sidewalk to see he parade will begin at 6 p.m. Parade floats will be handing out candy and Santa will be there too. Stay after the parade to see Santa in the Saline County Courthouse gazebo on Main Street.
Register to have a float in the parade or just come watch. Watchers should park and walk to a spot on the side of Market Street, North Street or Main Street. Come early to get a good spot. The parade route is shown below. Click the image to enlarge it.
Register to participate in The Saline County Christmas Parade, using the form embedded below. Be sure to use the navigation arrows to see the rules on page 2, or scroll past the PDF to see the rules in text form.
How to get the form:
- Electronic – See the form below.
- Paper – Pick it up at Paradise Pets, The Oil Shop, or Benton Chamber of Commerce.
How to turn in the form:
- Electronic – Email the info to [email protected]. You can either Print the form, fill it out, scan or take a pic OR just send the info in the body of the email that you would have typed in the blanks.
- Paper – Take the completed form to Paradise Pets, The Oil Shop, or Benton Chamber of Commerce.
How to pay the entry fee:
- Electronic – Submit $10 through Paypal at https://paypal.me/downtownbenton
- Paper – Take the payment to Paradise Pets, The Oil Shop, or Benton Chamber of Commerce.
The deadline to register is Saturday, December 3, 2021.
[pdf-embedder url=”https://www.mysaline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/saline-county-christmas-parade-2021-entry-and-rules.pdf” title=”saline county christmas parade 2021 entry and rules”]
PARADE
RULES
- Date: Monday, December 6, 2021
- Start Time: 6pm – Line up any time prior to 5:30 (earlier the better)
- Theme: A Hallmark Christmas
- Organizer: Downtown Benton Partnership
- Contact Persons: Wanda Posey 501-317-9199 or Jennifer Donnor 501-840-6979 Call or text
• All competing entries must use holiday lights. If possible, entries should incorporate lights. This makes for a brighter and more festive parade.
• No one is permitted to dress and Mr. & Mrs. Claus; other costumes are encouraged.
• Candy may be handed out, not thrown.
• Entries should boldly display the name of their organization on both the right and left side for judges and newspaper coverage.
• Entries may be floats, buses/vans, cars, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, carriages, bands, and supervised animals.
• Each organization is responsible for the safety of children taking part in their entry. Please always supervise the children. Do not allow children to hang over the sides of your entry. We also encourage you to bring flashlights.
Line Up
• Parade entries do not line up in numerical order.
• Numbers are given only to those competing for “Best in Show.”
• Do not approach the line up by coming from Market St. This creates a huge traffic jam as entries attempt to turn around and line up. Please approach from the direction of the railroad tracks on one of the side roads. Most entries can line up on either side of Market St. Some large groups will wait on the side roads. As the parade begins, entries will alternate right and left sides as needed.
• Saline County Sheriff’s Dept will direct traffic.
• If possible, come as a group; this minimizes confusion and lost children.
• Avoid large gaps of space between entries in the parade. One very slow entry can practically stop the parade. Go at a reasonable, safe speed for your entry. Do not build a float that has to go at a snail’s pace.
Parade Route
• Begins on Market St at CW Lewis Stadium parking lot. The Benton Jr. ROTC begins the procession. After Market St, the parade turns right on North and right on Main. Santa will get off at the Courthouse on Main to greet children. Entries should not stop and disband until they pass White’s Furniture on Ashley St.
Contest and Identification Numbers
• If competing for “Best in Show,” please indicate that on your registration form. Only those that specify will be given a number by phone in advance. Display your number on both the right and left sides of your entry.
• All competing entries must contain lights. The best floats will have the most lights.
• Out of town judges will sit at the start of the parade between Habitat and Regions Bank on each side of the street.
• Three winners will be selected for “Best in Show.” The first-place winner will receive $100. Second and Third Place winners will each be awarded smaller cash prizes. Winners will be notified by phone the following morning.
• Judges will select winners that best demonstrate the parade theme – A Hallmark Christmas. Judges will look for originality, creativity, boldness, and enthusiasm.
See the list of Holiday Events at mysaline.com/holiday-events.
To submit an event, email [email protected].