Ten! – Nine! – Eight! – was the chant as the countdown ensued at the 2019 Chamber of Commerce Christmas Lighting Celebration. The Wonder City of West Central Missouri is now illuminated from Spring Park to Main Street and US Highway 54 for the holiday season!
Spectators were treated to over 100 “Star Spangled Christmas” Parade entries, and the evening brought thousands of friends and neighbors together on Main Street and in Spring Park to start the countdown to holiday season festivities! Three Christmas events were rolled into one HUGE day of celebration with the annual Holiday Expo, Christmas Parade and Lighting Celebration.
Chamber CEO Jackson Tough had this to say about the day’s events, “first, we have to thank several folks who made the event a success. We appreciate every group, organization, business and individual that participated in the parade, expo and lighting. We were so pleased to have 107 entries in the parade which was another healthy increase again this year. We conducted a spectator count this year with three independent estimations. They each came in at just over 3,000 spectators. That’s an incredible number. The Community Building was packed with vendors and 400-500 shoppers for the home town holiday shopping event.”
“The Christmas Events Committee and assistants did an exceptional job. Combining three events, bringing thousands of people together isn’t an easy task.” The Christmas Committee and assistants included Events Chairman Dr. Neil Linsenmayer and wife, Yolandie, (El Dorado Springs Chiropractic), Ryan Cloyd (Mike & Joe’s Service Station), Janna Dody (Sac Osage Electric Cooperative), Mary Cain (Preferred Family Healthcare), Kimberly McGatha and Ryan Baker (Sonic Drive-In), and chamber assistant director Peggy Snodgrass. Tough also mentioned “Vicki Hillsman (Brower Real Estate) did a tremendous job organizing the 6th annual Holiday Expo, and Dr. Theresa Christian (R-2 Schools) assisted in several places on event day. We appreciate Ron Alumbaugh setting up the Spring Park sound equipment for the Lighting Celebration. The City Parks and Grounds crew and Utilities Electricians again did a fantastic job decorating Spring Park, Main Street and Highway 54. Special thanks to the El Dorado Springs Lions Club for parade traffic control and the Nine Wonders Optimist Club for their Christmas Cookie Decorating Station. Christmas Committee Chairman Dr. Neil Linsenmayer also commented, “Jeanne Ellison and the employees from Woods Supermarket, our hometown holiday grocery headquarters were a huge part of the festivities, sponsoring free food at the Lighting Celebration. We also appreciate State Senator Sandy Crawford, State Representative Warren Love and Sheriff James McCrary joining us to help grill and serve the public hotdogs. Fugate Motors supplied the grill and several parade vehicles. Thanks to J. Beaty Farm Equipment for the stage. As usual, Generation 3 introduced Miss Merry Christmas and Little Mr. and Miss Santa contestants. We also appreciate the Opera House Arts Council for showing ‘Elf’ after the Lighting Celebration and the El Dorado Springs Optimist Club and Nine Wonders Optimist Club paying for the first 90 kids to attend plus free popcorn and drinks.”
2019 Christmas Parade Awards Included:
1st Place Pape Christian Church
2nd Place Skate Town
3rd Place Community National Bank & Trust
You can find many photos of parade entries, Lighting Celebration, the Holiday Expo and more at www.facebook.com/ElDoradoSpringsChamber.
Parade Royalty Included:
Grand Marshals – Members of the Spicer-Grimsley VFW Post 257, honored as the oldest Post in Missouri, celebrating 100 years in El Dorado Springs
Miss Merry Christmas 2019 – Allyson Snodgrass
Little Mr. Santa – Braxton Quamme
Little Miss Santa – Bree McCullough
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