Parade of Lights shines in Ronan
Linda Sappington
Last minute touches are placed on a float sponsored by D&D Customs/Sign Pros and Cheers, Etc., before the start of the Ronan Parade of Lights Friday night.
Linda Sappington
People bundle up and watch as brightly-lit floats head down Main Street in Ronan.
Linda Sappington
Dressed as Olaf from the movie “Frozen,” Zayla Wolfe, 2, lights up her snowsuit.
Linda Sappington
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RONAN — Twinkling lights, bonfire smoke and Christmas carols filled Main Street in Ronan as spectators bundled up against the freezing rain and greeted illuminated floats in Friday evening’s Parade of Lights.
As is customary with Ronan parades, the caravan began by St. Luke Assisted Living, giving residents a view of the cheery procession as they peered through the windows. With a large amount of entries, the parade lit up Main Street from one end to the other.
The parade was followed by the Ronan Chamber of Commerce’s Holiday Treasures drawing before families warmed up by a bonfire in the park. Christmas stockings filled with 530 pounds of goodies were also distributed to children, according to Ronna Walchuk, co-chair of the chamber’s Beautifcation Committee with Ky Bartels and Jeanette Rosman.
The live nativity was canceled at the last minute because of the freezing rain.
“It could have been treacherous to haul the animals,” Walchuk said. “We didn’t want to put anyone in jeopardy.”
The event was a “huge success,” Walchuk said, because of the joint effort of Ronan High School’s art department that painted festive winter scenes on downtown businesses; the Boy Scouts who built the bonfire and set up their wall tent in the park; and students from Kicking Horse Job Corps that help build and distribute illuminated snowballs throughout the park.
“People that came to watch said it was the best (parade) so far,” Walchuk said. “Someone told me it was such a Norman Rockwell scene. That made me feel good.”
