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Now that we have our very own street festival, I don’t have to take up valuable column space laying out all the reasons why Brentwood needs its own Main Street event. Although organizers called them Town Center Saturdays instead of the Brentwood Mole Fest, I’m more than satisfied with the result.
So I’m starting my 2012 campaign a little early: A movement to have our very own, home-grown Christmas Parade next year. I had already been thinking about it the idea, but an email from Dennis Jackson, the Ravenwood Band Boosters' biggest booster, really sealed the idea.
“The Ravenwood Marching Band will be participating for the first time in the Nashville Christmas Parade on Friday evening, Dec. 2, at 7pm in downtown Nashville. The theme of the parade is ‘Christmas Around the World.’ Come kick off the Christmas season with a great nighttime parade and cheer for one of Brentwood's marching bands as Ravenwood represents Williamson County in downtown Nashville,” Dennis writes.
Why not a nighttime, or daytime, parade here?
Have you ever been to one of the Ravenwood or Brentwood high school homecoming parades? Floats would not be an issue. We have fire trucks and police cars and scouts and dance groups. We have community organizations and businesses. We've got politicians and Predators and Titans and Country Music Stars of the capital letter variety. Maybe Tractor Supply Company could be its corporate sponsor.
Franklin Road may not be the best option for the parade route since it’s a state road and pretty busy thoroughfare but Maryland Way is perfect. If we can host 20,000 people for the Greater Nashville Race for the Cure, closing the divided road for a Christmas parade should be easy. There would be plenty of parking for spectators.
Maybe we could even have a winter-version of Town Center Saturday at the same time.
I may just head downtown Friday night to see how it all unfolds. I haven’t been to a night-time Christmas parade since the Thalhimers Toy Parade in Richmond, Va. more than a few decades ago.
On Tuesday night I attended the annual Leadership Brentwood holiday gathering. I’m sure the LBW Class of 2012 members are starting to think about viable class projects. A Christmas Parade could be a winner folks. Call me if you want to brainstorm….
Susan Leathers is editor of Brentwood Home Page. Click here to read previous columns. Email her at susan@brentwoodhomepage.com |
