Beth Sergent/photo - Santa makes his way through downtown Pomeroy in a horse-drawn carriage during Sunday’s village Christmas parade.
A sunny day with temperatures in the mid-60s drew a large crowd downtown made up of every age, shape and size. Before the parade, many gathered near Anderson’s Furniture to once again her the Community Band play Christmas favorites. Further up East Main Street, the crowd watching the staff from Swisher & Lohse, who also had a huge float in the parade, put the familiar inflatable Grinch and Max the dog on the store’s second floor patio for everyone to enjoy through Christmas.
Once the parade began, it was led by Grand Marshal George Wright driving his Model A Ford. Wright, who brought many of his friends from the Gallipolis Model A Club, was followed by former Grand Marshal Shaggy, the once homeless dog that roamed downtown Pomeroy for several years. Shaggy was escorted by caretaker Rhonda Carnahan of Jeff Warner Insurance and passed out dog biscuits to dogs along the parade route.
The parade also include several local churches, a group from the Wizard of Oz from Farmer’s Bank, the Gallia Meigs Performing Arts group, Boy and Girl Scouts from across Meigs County as well as firefighters, and their trucks, from across the county. Also included in the parade were performances by the Southern Tornadoes Marching Band under the direction of Chad Dodson and the Meigs Marauder Marching Band under the direction of Toney Dingess. After the parade, both bands marched onto Court Street and formed individual Christmas songs.
After the parade, several parents and their children lined up outside Peoples Bank to meet with Santa Claus, get a keepsake photo of the meeting and get a cookie.
Several of the downtown merchants opened early and stayed open late for Sunday’s parade to encourage shopping at local businesses. Now through the first of the year, the Village of Pomeroy has covered all parking meters, hoping free parking will also encourage shopping downtown.
The annual Pomeroy Christmas Parade was sponsored by the Pomeroy Merchant’s Association and was directed by Dingess.
The Pomeroy Merchants Association will also be staging three Christmas contests — one for candies on Dec. 5, one for cookies on Dec. 12, and another for crafts or other homemade creations on Dec. 19. Sponsoring the contests will be Peoples Bank in Pomeroy, candies; Ohio Valley Bank at 700 West Main St. (Save-A-Lot), cookies; and Farmers Bank, homemade crafts or creations of any kind. In all three contests a cash prize of $50 will go to the first place winner. The second place winner will also receive a prize to be determined by the bank hosting the contest.
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