CHRISTMASTIME IS NEAR
The Gray Jaycees are hosting the annual Christmas parade in Gray Dec. 13 at 7 p.m., creating memories for families and showing off float creators’ talents.
Trey Murray, the president of the Gray Jaycees, said he’s looking forward to the Christmas parade this year. He said the floats will be leaving from Ingles parking lot and heading downtown.
“The Christmas parade theme this year is A Nightmare Before Christmas,” he said. “It will start at Ingles at 7 p.m. like always, and set up starts at 6:30 p.m. We still have applications to get in, and it’s still not too late. It’s going to be a lot of fun, and it’s a bit different.”
He said he had some pushback about the theme, but he said it’s based around the 1993 Disney movie. He said the parade is a free family event, and it’s been a Christmas tradition in Jones County for years.
“The kids will have fun, and the parents have fun watching their kids have fun. It’s an important event, because it provides an outlet for some stress-free type of fun right here at the holidays. Tensions run high this time of year with everything going on; this gives people a chance to slow down and enjoy each other as a family and a community,” Murray said.
The president said they started planning the parade in July, but the heavy planning didn’t start until November. He said they are getting more applications now, and he can’t wait to see how things go.
Murray said people should come out to the Christmas parade, because it’s going to be fun for everyone. He said there will be a coffee truck set up for people to purchase coffee. He said people should bring chairs to set up along the sidewalk from Ingles through downtown Gray where the parade will take place. Murray said he’s enjoyed being a part of the Gray Jaycees and making connections. He said he’s met people from all over Georgia and the nation. He said being a part of the Christmas parade has also been a lot of fun.
He said the Gray Jaycees has not only helped him better himself, but better the Jones County community also. He said he looks forward to seeing people out on the evening of Dec. 13.
“I’m excited to see people’s creativity. I think this theme gives you a little bit of wiggle room to get creative in ways people don’t really think of,” the president said. “It’s going to be interesting to see how people decorate their floats. I hope people come out and enjoy the many different floats.”
