Many years ago when I was a little girl Mr. Kenneth Dykes worked for my grandmother at Hall's Hardware. I had to laugh with my mother about the memories I had riding on that large flatbed truck with his children as we paraded through town to kick off the parish fair. There were no rails, no haybales to sit on, no adults, just a handful of kids throwing wooden yard sticks that said Hall's Hardware on the sides. But that was the world before seat belts and safety scissors.
Over the years I would ride as a child dressed like a girl from the farm, an adult as The Snake Lady and Rosie the Riveter. In high school I would march with the dance team or ride on some convertible with a crown on my head. Parading through town was a custom I had known all of my life growing up in Franklinton.
So, when I heard about the Franklinton Christmas parade I jumped at the opportunity to see if our older two grandsons could ride in the Centenary Methodist Church float. The third grader went as a shepherd and the second grader rode as a donkey. Thanks to Ms. Dixie Cody and her daughter Jamie, the float was adorable and the children had a blast.
The decision to hold a Christmas parade in Franklinton was wonderful. I was excited to see the lights and floats parading through town to kick off the Christmas season. For those fellow readers who binge watch the Hallmark Christmas movies during this time of year, we have to all admit nobody does it better than our hometown.
When I think back to all of the years celebrating the harvest season with the Washington Parish fair, it seems to be fitting we have arrived at another new tradition of lighting up Mile Branch Settlement and hosting venders at the Commercial Building to raise money for the town's Varnado Store Museum.
Our little tykes from church led the parade ,creating a live nativity scene with angels, shepherds, Wisemen, Mary and Joseph. A multitude of floats followed lit up with lights and waving arms. Candy was tossed, horns were blown and Christmas music blared down the streets of Franklinton.
My son was standing next to me holding our little Daniel who is one and a half years old. And on his other side was another son holding his little Liam who is ten months old. Both seemed a bit overwhelmed by the loud music and horns, but were mesmerized by the passing floats.
I told my son all we needed now was a Hallmark movie to be filmed here, and I had to laugh and say, "I guess I will need to write one." Larry Levinson was one of the first people I ever submitted a screenplay to back in the early 1990's. It was titled Will's Fargo and had a similar format to the current Hallmark films. It is a very small world. We may be a very small town, but we pack a big punch when it comes to traditions and celebrating the good things in life.
